Finnish Science Barometers study attitudes towards science and research. Topics cover usefulness, quality and ethics of science, benefits and risks of scientific and technological development, and world-view. The first barometer was conducted in 2001, after which data have been collected previously at three-year intervals and nowadays every two years. Until 2019, the surveys were commissioned by Tieteen tiedotus ry and carried out by Yhdyskuntatutkimus.
The survey studied Finnish public opinion on science and research and mapped their role in society. As a new theme, respondents were asked about their attitudes toward artificial intelligence and its applications in society.
First, respondents were asked which scientific fields interested them and where they obtained information about science and its development. Respondents were also asked about the future impact of science and research on people's everyday lives, and to evaluate various aspects of the state and quality of science and research in Finland. Next, respondents were asked about their trust in various institutions, including the European Parliament, the church, trade unions, the media, the armed forces, and universities. The respondents were also asked to name a Finnish researcher whom they considered trustworthy.
In addition, questions were asked about the development of science and research and the ability of science to solve societal problems. Respondents were also asked about the relation between science and politics. The survey also included various attitudinal statements about 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' attitudes toward artificial intelligence and its applications, such as self-driving cars or facial recognition in border control, were examined. The respondents were also asked to consider the opportunities and threats posed by artificial intelligence in an open-ended question.
Background variables included the respondent's gender, age, population of their municipality of residence, NUTS2 region, type of accommodation, household characteristics, basic and vocational education, statistical grouping of municipalities, political party preference, economic activity and occupational status, and household's annual income.
The data were collected from eligible respondents on Kantar Forum internet panel. Kantar Forum panel is used to carry out commissioned surveys. The panel is made up of recruited Finnish citizens aged 15 and older. Self-recruitment is not possible. The comprehensive structure of the panel ensures suitable respondents for all survey needs and that different types of attitudinal and population groups are represented in the surveys. The sampling was carried out as a 3-stage stratified sample. A total of 1,006 respondents completed the survey.