If there is one thing the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted, it is how digital misinformation can severely impact public discourse and decision-making. It underscores the critical need for reliable scholarly communication online.
We discuss these challenges with Dr. Suzanne Dumouchel, co-coordinator of OPERAS, the European research infrastructure dedicated to open scholarly communication in humanities and social sciences. This EU-funded project just published a report entitled “Fostering trust in the digital age“.
What are the key findings and implications of OPERAS’ report on trust in the digital age?
Suzanne Dumouchel: This report was an initial step to test public response to the critical issues of online trust and information quality. The enthusiastic reception and strong commitment from various stakeholders, demonstrated by the unusually quick publication timeline (under six months), shows the urgency and importance of addressing these challenges. Online trust and correct online information, as we have seen, also play a role in the public discourse on political elections and democracy.
However, this is just the beginning. Tackling these enormous issues requires significant courage, particularly from policymakers. Their support and concrete action are now essential to move from recommendations to real solutions.
What is the difference between disinformation, misinformation, and mal-information, and why does this matter?
Suzanne Dumouchel: These terms describe different types of false information. Misinformation is incorrect information but considered true by those spreading it.
Disinformation, on the other hand, is deliberately created and shared to manipulate people for commercial, political, or other purposes.
Finally, mal-information uses information based on reality to harm a person, an organisation or even a country.
Understanding these differences is crucial because it helps us recognise the intent behind false information and its potential impact.
What role do social media platforms play in the spread of conspiracy theories and irrational beliefs, especially among young people? What can we do about it?
Suzanne Dumouchel: Social media platforms play a major role in spreading conspiracy theories, as highlighted in UNESCO reports. Contrary to common belief, this affects people of all ages, not just young people.
Something that I consider vital is removing like/dislike systems (thumbs up/down) that tend to polarise discussions and instead focus on building more qualitative internet content.
I think improving content quality is more important than trying to determine absolute truth. In that sense, OPERAS has developed an Information Quality Protocol which aims to provide a reference framework for evaluating the quality of the content in a particular website. With support from policymakers, this could transform the way people inform and discuss online.
How can we enjoy the benefits of digital communication while protecting ourselves from false/misleading information?
Suzanne Dumouchel: Digital communication provides valuable benefits for democracy and equality that should be preserved. However, it has undermined the authority of experts like journalists or scientists.
I think that the solution is finding the right balance between preserving freedom of speech while promoting respectful communication, working to establish shared values for digital communication, and finding ways to allow a fruitful dialogue between experts and citizens.
What are good ways to share knowledge and build trust online?
Suzanne Dumouchel: We recommend using existing fact-checking tools and resources while we [the OPERAS project] continue working toward implementing an Information Quality Protocol to rate website trustworthiness.
Another important thing to be aware of is how algorithms create echo chambers and work toward diversifying the people who develop these algorithms. Another idea we are developing is setting up community living labs with diverse participants, such as companies, policymakers, journalists, scientists, to address these challenges.
How can we ensure AI is developed and used ethically to promote trust online?
Suzanne Dumouchel: To ensure AI models are ethically developed, we need to first improve the quality of web content that AI models are trained on and promote Open Science and FAIR data principles, that is, that scientific results can be easily shared and reused.
While accepting that not everything can be controlled, we should work with content producers to improve quality. Nonetheless, to achieve these medium/long-term goals, we need stronger policy support.
How can scientists better communicate their findings to build public trust?
Suzanne Dumouchel: What’s very important is maintaining transparency and better explaining the scientific process to the public: proper research takes time! In addition, scientists need to avoid rushing results due to external pressure.
Aside from improving science literacy, at OPERAS we developed a series of openly available tools to facilitate an open dialogue between researchers and citizens.
What can we do to build trust in today’s digital world?
Suzanne Dumouchel: I think the key is acting locally, starting through local community living labs and building trust in smaller groups that can later connect globally. This should be combined with promoting transparency and accepting that solutions take time.
To be successful, we need support from policymakers, to focus on education and media literacy, and to implement quality standards for online content.