ScienceUpFirst

{{Short description|Canadian science education campaign}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2021}}

ScienceUpFirst is a Canadian initiative launched to counter misinformation online, especially about COVID-19. Launched January 25, 2021,{{R|Joe}} it brings together independent scientists, health care providers and science communicators.{{R|SUF}}

Goals and history

The initiative is the result of conversations between Senator Stan Kutcher and Timothy Caulfield, who were discussing ways to counter misinformation about COVID-19. In April 2021, the Government of Canada announced $2.25 million in funding for two new projects to increase uptake of COVID-19 vaccines, one of which was ScienceUpFirst.{{Cite web |last=Davidson |first=Cole |date=2021-04-29 |title=Government of Canada funds two new projects to encourage vaccine uptake in Canada |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2021/04/government-of-canada-funds-two-new-projects-to-encourage-vaccine-uptake-in-canada.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105192421/https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2021/04/government-of-canada-funds-two-new-projects-to-encourage-vaccine-uptake-in-canada.html |archive-date=2022-11-05 |access-date=2022-11-05 |website=Public Health Agency of Canada}} The initiative received $2,590,682 in new funding through the Canadian Association of Science Centres from the Public Health Agency of Canada's Immunization Partnership Fund.{{Cite web |last=Public Health Agency of Canada |date=2022-10-12 |title=Immunization Partnership Fund |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/immunization-vaccine-priorities/immunization-partnership-fund.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104154209/https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/immunization-vaccine-priorities/immunization-partnership-fund.html |archive-date=2022-11-04 |access-date=2022-11-04 |website=Government of Canada}}

The groups aims at disseminating information created by its members or selected from credible sources. Starting in March 2021, it also plans to track misinformation online and post science-based content to oppose it.{{R|SUFhow}}{{R|CTV}} In addition to recruiting athletes and celebrities, it's building a network of volunteers to increase the distribution of the selected information.{{R|cp}}{{R|sp}}

The initiative will be especially active against misinformation about COVID-19 vaccination, which threatens to have an impact on vaccination rates.{{R|cp}}{{R|MG}} Caulfield commented that the amount of disinformation circulating in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything experienced in decades. He hopes the campaign can get information to people looking online for reliable information.{{R|CTV}}

The campaign is active on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.{{R|CTV}} It tries to apply best practices in fighting misinformation that were identified by various studies on science communication and public opinion.{{R|CTV}}

Organization

ScienceUpFirst is organized around the Canadian Association of Sciences Centres, COVID-19 Resources Canada and the University of Alberta's Health Law Institute.{{R|Joe}}{{R|SUFhow}} Institutional partners of the initiative include the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Royal Canadian Institute, along with a variety of community partners including 19 to Zero.{{Cite web |title=Partners of ScienceUpFirst |url=https://www.scienceupfirst.com/partners/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921183931/https://www.scienceupfirst.com/partners/ |archive-date=2022-09-21 |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=ScienceUpFirst |language=en-US}}

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=ScienceUpFirst|url=https://www.scienceupfirst.com/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126022329/https://www.scienceupfirst.com/|archive-date=26 January 2021|access-date=26 January 2021|website=ScienceUpFirst}}

{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=How we're fighting misinformation|url=https://www.scienceupfirst.com/en/how|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126231820/https://www.scienceupfirst.com/en/how|archive-date=26 January 2021|access-date=26 January 2021|website=ScienceUpFirst}}

{{Cite news|last=Riga|first=Andy|date=25 January 2021|title=COVID-19 updates, Jan. 25: Cases, hospitalizations drop – Quebec reports 1,203 infections, 43 deaths|work=The Montreal Gazette|url=https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/covid-19-updates-january-22-montreal-quebec-new-cases-vaccine-vaccination-lockdown-curfew-pandemic-travel|url-status=live|access-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126233552/https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/covid-19-updates-january-22-montreal-quebec-new-cases-vaccine-vaccination-lockdown-curfew-pandemic-travel|archive-date=26 January 2021}}

{{Cite news|last=Aguzzi|first=Maria Gabriela|date=25 January 2021|title=COVID: Expertos canadienses unidos para combatir desinformación sobre la vacuna|language=spanish|work=Radio Canada Internacional|url=https://www.rcinet.ca/es/2021/01/25/covid-expertos-canadienses-unidos-para-combatir-desinformacion-sobre-la-vacuna/|url-status=live|access-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126234540/https://www.rcinet.ca/es/2021/01/25/covid-expertos-canadienses-unidos-para-combatir-desinformacion-sobre-la-vacuna/|archive-date=26 January 2021}}

{{Cite web|last= Baig|first=Fakiha|date=25 January 2021|title='ScienceUpFirst:' Social media campaign targets COVID-19 misinformation with science|url=https://www.cp24.com/news/scienceupfirst-social-media-campaign-targets-covid-19-misinformation-with-science-1.5280755|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126042118/https://www.cp24.com/news/scienceupfirst-social-media-campaign-targets-covid-19-misinformation-with-science-1.5280755|archive-date=26 January 2021|access-date=26 January 2021|website=CP24}}

{{Cite AV media|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2126205|title=Your Morning|date=26 January 2021|last=|first=|type=Video news report|language=English|publisher=CTV}}

{{Cite AV media|url=https://soundcloud.com/cjad800/scienceupfirst|title=ScienceUpFirst|date=24 January 2021|last=|first=|type=Audio|language=|publisher=CJAD|time=}}

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{{COVID-19 pandemic in Canada}}

Category:Awareness activism

Category:Science communication

Category:COVID-19 pandemic in Canada

Category:Scientific organizations established in 2021

Category:2021 establishments in Canada