- Benoit Deprez
- 3 nov. 2024
- 2 min de lecture
Dernière mise à jour : 14 sept.
Trust is at the heart of the scientific process. Researchers pose new hypotheses at the frontiers of knowledge by relying on the results of their predecessors and peers. Without absolute trust in these seminal works, scientific exploration becomes impossible. This bond of trust also extends to relations between the research community, the institutions that host them and the public, which directly or indirectly provides the resources needed for research. This double bond of trust, internal and external, must be established from the very beginning of a young researcher's career and maintained throughout. The integrity to which researchers commit is the often invisible cement of this trust, which is increasingly fragile today.
Strengthening this trust and encouraging the public to support research and use scientific results in their everyday lives is a crucial issue. However, researchers are not the only ones who need to cultivate this bond of trust. Journalists, too, are faced with the dispersal of public attention and the erosion of the credibility of information in the eyes of the public. Bankers, for their part, also build their relationships with customers on this essential trust. Finally, in the relationship between citizens, the notary is also a trusted third party in everyday life.
This bond of trust between citizens and professions that guarantee freedom of thought and action is fundamental, not only for these professions, but also for the maintenance of the social contract and democracy.
Is trust granted too quickly?
Citizens also need to be taught to detect fake news and intoxication. As a producer of knowledge, teaching the public about my methods for ensuring the reliability of our knowledge also means familiarising them with good practice and helping them to recognise content producers who do not respect it.