Trust in Expertise: Spectra of Science and Knowledge Production

On 15 May, the ALLEA Working Group Truth, Trust & Expertise held its second of three thematic Workshops at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia. Chaired by Professor Ed Noort, Co-Chair of the Working Group, this workshop discussed the role of science and research in relation to the trustworthiness of methods and evidence across different academic disciplines.

In four thematic sessions, the speakers of the workshop presented different disciplinary perspectives on how to create trustworthy knowledge, discussed how greater inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation could be made possible, how historical, geographical and ethical contexts matter, and how changing norms and practices are impacting the mode of scientific production and publishing. Some of these  and  previous discussions were followed up  on the next day at the scientific symposium “Science in Times of Challenged Trust and Expertise”, as part of 2018 ALLEA’s General Assembly.

Professor Noort (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, KNAW) thanked the members of the Working Group and the invited guests from the Croatian and Bulgarian Academies for their participation, and emphasised the necessity for critical (self-)reflection on the role of the countless scientific institutions, disciplines and methods regarding an alleged loss of trust in expertise.

The major talking points and conclusions drawn from the workshop will be published in the second issue of the ALLEA Discussion Paper series. They will also feed into the third workshop on “Changing Landscapes of Communication” in Amsterdam on 31 August 2018 under the chairmanship of Professor José van Dijck (KNAW).

Learn more about the Truth, Trust and Expertise Working Group here. You can access the first discussion paper by the Working Group on the issue of loss of trust here. You can also watch our video series on Truth, Trust and Expertise here.