There are numerous reasons to communicate your research to the outside world and step into the limelight as a scientist. However, one downside of this openness to the outside world, which has been particularly evident since the Covid-19 pandemic, should not be forgotten.
Information and support services
By speaking out publicly, researchers become vulnerable and expose themselves not only to positive but also negative reactions such as insults, hate messages and threats. How can hostile researchers deal with this situation? How can they protect themselves?
The Austrian Academy of Sciences set up the internal Science Care platform for its researchers in 2022. Among other things, it offers help with media crisis communication, advice on legal issues and psychological support.
In the guidelines on dealing with attacks and unobjective conflicts in science communication from the German contact point Scicomm-Support, interested parties can find information on how to recognise and understand a threat situation and subsequently take action. The materials are availabe in German and English.
The German project "Capacities and Competencies in Dealing with Hate Speech and Hostility towards Science (CAPAZ)" is gathering a substantial knowledge base and comprehensive empirical evidence on scientific integrity.
Research overview on hate speech and hostility towards science
A general climate of hostility towards science, which is favoured, for example, by populist statements from politicians, can increase the acceptance of attacks against scientists and thus make them more likely. There are also some risk factors that make it more likely to experience hate speech and attacks, such as belonging to a minority or socially marginalised groups, research on a politicised topic and a high reach of one's own scientific communication. Although women do not necessarily experience more attacks than men, attacks on women are more likely to have a sexualised dimension. The privileged position as a scientist can also pose a risk, as hate speech can aim to position oneself against a group perceived as powerful.
The research overview of the German Science Communication Transfer Unit summarises current findings on science-related attacks.