6 ways to incorporate social context and trust in infodemic management

This brief explains how social science can inform infodemiology by making it more attuned to different social, political and cultural contexts and to the relationships between people and formal institutions. By providing an understanding of the contexts and cultures in which infodemics circulate, social scientists can help infodemic managers to work with people to make decisions based on the most accurate and appropriate information. The brief will first set out what needs to be done and then offer six ways to do it.

These six ways are: 

1. Use social science to understand the socio-economic, political and historical context in which information is circulating.
2. Adapt communications to respond to the concerns of different groups of people, using trusted sources and platforms.
3. Establish dialogue and create feedback systems.
4. Include diverse groups and listen with an open mind – misinformation and rumours are influenced by people’s life experiences and current situation. 
5. Be transparent, consistent and open, particularly about uncertainty, controversy and mistakes.
6. Offer compelling narratives that build a sense of capability and motivation to act.