Science barometers have been conducted regularly in Germany and Switzerland for years. The aim is to investigate how the population perceives science and what importance research has in society. As a result of the European Commission's last EU-wide survey on this topic, which found a certain skepticism about and disinterest in science among the Austrian population, the Austrian Academy of Sciences declared that it would also implement annual monitoring in Austria with the aim of surveying how acceptance of science changes over time. The results of the first Austrian survey were published at the end of 2022.
Overview of the most important results
- 30 % hardly trust science.
- 37 % prefer to rely on common sense.
- More than half are interested in science and research.
- For two-thirds, information about science is important.
- Only 37 % consider themselves well informed.
- For around half, the influence of politics and business on science is too great.