Editor-in-chief of Science encourages researchers to communicate

The editor-in-chief of a leading international science journal presented a challenge to the Virginia Tech research community.  

“What can we do to be different from the intuitions that are losing trust,” said Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of Science. “The main thing is to be much more open and conversational than most of the [other societal] institutions that are out there.”

A part of the Research Integrity and Consultation Program’s Research Integrity and Scholarly Excellence (RISE) Lecture Series, Thorp visited Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus on April 22 to speak about the challenges of scientific research and communication in the current landscape. He shared examples of missteps researchers and publications have made in the past and some best practices for engaging with both the public and media.  

Thorp said while the collective science community has lost some public trust compared with past years, recent survey data shows it to be viewed as quite trustworthy compared to other institutions in society.  

“As of today, 76 percent of U.S. adults have confidence in science to act in the best interest of the public. That’s higher than almost any other institution,” said Thorp, citing data from a 2024 Pew Research Center study.

Among other groups, the percentage was higher than that for religious leaders at 55 percent, public school principals at 72 percent, and elected officials at 33 percent. 

Thorp shared several thoughts on actions and attitudes the scientific community should embrace to increase public trust. They include:

• Courageously correct mistakes
• Stand up for papers that are correct
• Share information quickly and answer questions
• Avoid complaining about public scrutiny 
•  Avoid criticizing people for not understanding

“We have the privilege of spending taxpayer money to do research and we have obligations to the people who paid that, and that is to be willing to talk to them about the things they are criticizing us for,” Thorp said.

Iris Jenkins, director of the Research Integrity and Consultation Program, said Thorp’s experience as an insider on matters of both research and publishing ethics made him an ideal fit for the lecture series.  

“The theme of our RISE series this year is Navigating 21st Century Challenges to Scientific Research,” Jenkins said. “Dr. Thorp is familiar with the challenges to scientific research and has written about ways to manage them. We knew the Virginia Tech research community would benefit greatly from the opportunity to engage with him and learn from his perspectives.”

Past events may be viewed on the RISE Lecture video page.

Along with the lecture, Thorp spent time throughout the day discussing specific research, research integrity, and publishing topics with a variety of members of the Virginia Tech community in Blacksburg and Roanoke. This included:

• A group of Virginia Tech researchers in Blacksburg
• A group of postdoctoral associates, including individuals from the Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship Program and the Research and Innovation Postdoctoral Scholars Program in Blacksburg
• Michael J. Friedlander, executive director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, and faculty working at the institute in Roanoke
• Lee A. Learman, dean of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, and a group of medical school faculty in Roanoke

Jenkins said the day illustrates the type of wide-ranging assistance navigating ethical dilemmas the Research Integrity and Consultation Program aims to provide the entire Virginia Tech research community.  This includes everything from consultations to its peer-to-peer learning model for training researchers in the responsible conduct of research.  

“Our division is here to support research excellence,” Jenkins said. “We want to see researchers succeed and provide the support they need to do so.  Whether it is assistance with meeting regulatory requirements or, thinking through complex ethical issues, we are here to help.”