New Research Project on Communication of Scientific Uncertainty

In it, the research team is using a multi-method study to investigate how journalism and research communication deal with scientific uncertainty and how uncertainty can be communicated in a way that is appropriate for the target group and with a view to social crises. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the "UncertainTEAM" project for the next three years with around 600,000 euros.

The scientists involved are planning a large representative survey, qualitative interviews and workshops with citizens, journalists and science communicators, as well as a series of experimental studies on the effect of different ways of presenting uncertainty.

At the Institute for Planetary Health Behaviour (IPB), an interdisciplinary team is working together, including communication science, sociology, health communication, psychology and education science. The project is managed by Assistant Professor Fabian Prochazka. Also involved are Professor Guido Mehlkop, Dr Eva Thomm, Professor Johannes Bauer, Professor Cornelia Betsch, Dr Sabine Best, Dr Mirjam Jenny, Professor Tilmann Betsch and Professor Babette Brinkmann (Cologne).