Factors of Public Trust in Science: A Review of Studies

Abstract

The category of trust has a long history in science analysis. At the same time, attention to the empirical study of public trust in science has significantly increased in recent years. This popularity is associated with the crisis of confidence declared by scientists and the role of trust in people’s lives. Using a systematic literature review, the author offers an overview of existing research on the factors of public trust in science. As key issues, we consider the concepts of trust in science utilized by scholars, methods of their measurement, and the main categories of identified factors. As a result, we show the variability of strategies for studying public trust and the factors that form it. They can be used to improve the effectiveness of scientific communication and to develop research perspectives.