Study title

Finnish Science Barometer 2022

Dataset ID Number

FSD3785

Persistent identifier

urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3785

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Varpula, Vesa (Tieteen tiedotus ry)

Abstract

The survey studied Finnish public opinion on science and scientific-technical development. The study was commissioned by Tieteen tiedotus ry.

First, the respondents were asked how interested they were in several topics (e.g. culture and art, sports, environment, politics, technology). The importance of various sources of information on science and scientific development was also surveyed (e.g. newspapers, TV, radio, scientific publications, the internet, social media, seminars and lectures). Next, trust in various institutions (e.g. the Parliament, the church, trade unions, the media, armed forces, universities, the European) and science and research in general was examined. The respondents were also asked to name a Finnish researcher who they felt was trustworthy.

The respondents' views on how they expected scientific and technological developments to change people's daily lives in the next 10-20 years were investigated. The respondents were also asked whether they thought that science can solve certain problems or considerably help mankind (e.g. find a cure for cancer, raise the standard of living, stop or delay climate change, eradicate hunger from the world, decrease unemployment, promote peace and democracy). Additionally, opinions on how well certain aspects of science (e.g. quality of research, level of technology and medicine, ethical issues, science funding, usefulness of science to society and everyday life) have been taken care of in Finland were charted.

The survey also carried various attitudinal statements on science and research. The statements covered, for instance, relationships between religion and science, science funding, alternative medicine, researchers' involvement in politics, use of scientific information in political decision-making, impact of scientific and technological development, climate change, and nutrition. Finally, the respondents' opinions on immunization were charted with questions relating to, for example, the effectiveness and safety of vaccines, the reliability of information given by authorities, and the right to choose or decline immunization for themselves or their children. The impact that the coronavirus pandemic had had on the respondents' trust in various bodies (e.g. researchers, journalists, health officials, influencers who criticise health officials) was also surveyed.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, age group, number of inhabitants in municipality of residence, NUTS3 region of residence, type of accommodation, household characteristics, basic and vocational education, field of education, statistical grouping of municipalities, political party preference, perceived social class, economic activity and occupational status, and household's annual income.

Keywords

COVID-19; immunization; institutions; mass media; research; science; scientific development; scientific progress; technology and innovation

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Information technology (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Biotechnology (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Educational policy (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Finnish Science Barometers

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.

Data Collector

• Kantar TNS Finland

Time Period Covered

2022

Collection Dates

2022-05-27 – 2022-06-11

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

People aged over 18 residing in Finland (excluding the Åland Islands)

Time Method

Longitudinal: Trend/Repeated cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Probability: Simple random

The data were collected with an online survey through a Gallup Forum panel by Kantar TNS Oy. The data include the responses of 1,085 persons in total.

Collection Mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Web-based (CAWI)

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Data Version

1.0

Weighting

The data include a weight variable (Weight) which weights the data to be representative of the population in mainland Finland in terms of gender, age, and region of residence.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Varpula, Vesa (Tieteen tiedotus ry): Finnish Science Barometer 2022 [dataset]. Version 1.0 (2023-06-19). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3785

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

Related Materials

Tiedebarometri 2022. Tutkimus suomalaisten suhteesta tieteeseen ja tieteellis-tekniseen kehitykseen [verkkodokumentti]. Helsinki: Tieteen tiedotus ry.

Related Publications

Summary of the Finnish Science Barometer. A Study of Public Opinion and Attitudes Towards Science and Technology in Finland. [online]. Helsinki: Finnish Society for Scientific Information. https://www.tieteentiedotus.fi/files/tiedebarometri_2022_en.pdf [cited 25.5.2023].

Tiedebarometri 2022. Tutkimus suomalaisten suhtautumisesta tieteeseen ja tieteellis-tekniseen kehitykseen [verkkodokumentti]. Helsinki: Tieteen tiedotus ry. https://www.tieteentiedotus.fi/files/tiedebarometri_2022_fi.pdf [viitattu 25.5.2023]

Tiedebarometri 2022 lisäaineistoa [verkkodokumentti]. Helsinki: Tieteen tiedotus ry. https://www.tieteentiedotus.fi/files/TB2022tilastot.pdf