Trust — the glue that binds us
- Lynn Morris
[Editorial] Trust is something we rarely think about until it begins to break down. Science depends on it.
Without trust, scientific discoveries cannot be implemented, cannot inform policy, drive innovation or help societies respond to complex challenges. Although science and scientific institutions remain among the most trusted globally, there are signs that confidence is being eroded.
Much of the concern around science centres on misinformation and disinformation, some of which is designed to mislead, manipulate and undermine confidence in scientific evidence. With our unprecedented access to information, including via social media, it is harder to distinguish reliable knowledge from opinion and falsehood, and emotion and certainty from evidence and nuance.
The consequences for science are increasingly apparent. Vaccine scepticism, once largely confined to fringe groups, has become more widespread. Climate science has become deeply politicised in many countries where political leaders and even governments openly challenge scientific evidence, resulting in reduced support for research programmes and scientific institutions. Although many of these developments have been most visible in the Global North, their effects are felt around the world, including in South Africa, where our scientific ecosystem depends heavily on international collaboration, funding and partnerships.
An important insight emerging from recent analyses is that the problem may not be that people have stopped trusting science altogether. Rather, many people have shifted their trust to sources that are themselves untrustworthy. The challenge is therefore not simply a loss of trust, but the growth of misplaced trust. When scientific evidence becomes entangled with political identity or ideology, people become more susceptible to alternative narratives that may not be evidence-based at all.
This presents a profound challenge for scientists. We are trained to communicate uncertainty, complexity and nuance. Yet these are not qualities that thrive in today's information environment. A carefully constructed scientific explanation will almost always struggle to compete with a simple, emotionally compelling narrative. If science is to remain a trusted public good, scientists and scientific institutions must become better at explaining not only what we know, but also how we know it and why that process matters.
At the same time, science must maintain confidence within its own institutions. Concerns about research misconduct, paper mills, manipulated data and other forms of fraudulent research have contributed to rising numbers of retractions. Although these cases represent a small proportion of scientific activity, they can have a disproportionate effect on public confidence.
Artificial intelligence adds another dimension to the challenge of trust. While AI has enormous potential to accelerate discovery, it can also spread misinformation, reinforce bias and contribute to the production of fake or low-quality research outputs. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in research and society, transparency, accountability and responsible use become essential.
Trust in science is also shaped by how research is conducted and who benefits from it. Particularly in the Global South, questions of fairness, accountability and respect are central, especially in contexts where communities have historically been excluded from or exploited by research processes. The FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) and CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility and Ethics) principles, together with initiatives such as the Cape Town Statement on Research Integrity and Research Ethics, provide important frameworks for building and maintaining trust.
Ultimately, science is a collective endeavour built on trust: trust in evidence, institutions, ethical conduct, and the relationships between researchers and society. Universities occupy a unique position because their legitimacy rests on a commitment to evidence, debate, transparency and the pursuit of truth.
However, trust cannot simply be assumed. It must be earned and maintained. At a time when trust itself is increasingly contested, protecting and strengthening these foundations may be one of the most important responsibilities of scientists and universities.
- Professor Lynn Morris is Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation at µÚÒ»³Ô¹ÏÍø University.
- This article first appeared in CURIOS.TY, a research magazine produced by  and the .
- Read more in the 21st issue, themed #Trust — the invisible glue binding society, science and technology.
- ChatGPT was used to refine this editorial.