A citizens’ consultation in Valencia, held within the framework of a new research project led by ScienceFlows, will explore how trust and public perception of vaccines, climate change, and artificial intelligence have changed after the pandemic.
In the autumn of 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic transformed our lives, around 500 people from five European countries (Spain, Italy, Portugal, Poland, and Slovakia) took part in five public consultations, unprecedented in Europe. In each country, approximately 100 people, representing the national sociodemographic diversity, were brought together to explore how public opinion on scientific issues is formed and which sources of information are considered trustworthy.
This activity was part of the European project CONCISE (H2020-SwafS project. Grant Agreement 824537), which captured a snapshot of citizens’ perceptions regarding key issues such as vaccines, climate change, alternative medicine, and genetically modified organisms. In Spain, the consultation was held in València, with more than 100 people participating in structured and moderated debates throughout the day.
Today, six years later, in a world that has lived through a global pandemic and is now facing an unprecedented wave of disinformation, we ask again: How has public perception of science information in the public sphere changed?
CONFIDES 2025: A new consultation for a new context
On 27 September 2025, within the framework of the European Researchers’ Night, a new citizens’ public consultation on science will be held in València. This time, under the umbrella of the CONFIDES project, the aim is to compare the 2019 data with current opinions, focusing on three essential topics for society:
- Vaccines: assessing their role during the pandemic (in Spain’s case, with high vaccination rates) and the current scepticism or lack of trust.
- Climate change: considering the ongoing environmental emergency, while also addressing the rise of conspiratorial and denialist discourses.
- Artificial intelligence: examining a technology that is transforming our lives and generating as many expectations as concerns in public opinion.
Based on these topics, we will pose a series of questions to understand how the circulating information on these issues is perceived in the public sphere:
- Which sources do we turn to when we want to understand these topics?
- Which institutions or individuals inspire trust?
- How do hoaxes, the media and social networks influence our opinions?
Take part and make your voice heard
The consultation will be held in person, with moderated discussion groups, at the Botanical Garden of the University of Valencia. This will be a unique opportunity to discuss, listen and share your point of view on issues that affect us all.
If you are between 18 and 24 years old, sign up using this form: https://encuestas.uv.es/index.php/917339?lang=es
If you are of legal age and do not have a university degree, sign up here: https://encuestas.uv.es/index.php/419984?lang=es
This new public consultation will serve as a tool to assess how our ideas and perceptions of science have evolved, especially in a context where disinformation circulates disproportionately in the public sphere.
The findings of the CONFIDES project will help to improve public science communication policies and to strengthen trust between society, science, and the media.
One of the mottos of our research group is science is not only made in laboratories but also built through dialogue with citizens.
That is why, on 27 September, everyone’s voice counts. We look forward to seeing you there!
Public funding: The CONFIDES project (Public Perception and Post-COVID-19 Science in Spain: Trust and Disinformation on Vaccines, Climate Change and Artificial Intelligence, reference: PID2023-147991OB-I00) is funded by MICIU/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and FEDER, EU.
