Science and Engineering Indicators 2014

National Science Foundation (NSF)

Survey of Public Attitudes Toward and Understanding of Science and Technology (1979–2001); University of Michigan Survey of Consumer Attitudes (2004)

1979–2001, 2004

Information sources; interest; visits to informal science institutions; general attitudes; attitudes toward government spending, science/mathematics education, and animal research

Telephone interviews

n = 1,574–2,041; ± 2.5%–3.0%

National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago

General Social Survey (GSS)

1973–2012

Attitudes toward government spending, confidence in institutional leaders

Face-to-face interviews, supplemented by telephone interviews

Government spending (2000–12):

n = 1,372–4,510; ± 2.8%–3.9%

Confidence in institutional leaders (1973–2012):

n = 876–2,223; ± 2.5%–4.4%

NORC at the University of Chicago

GSS environment module

1993–94, 2000, 2010

Attitudes toward environment

Face-to-face interviews, supplemented by telephone interviews

n = 1,276–1,557; ± 2.5%–3.3%

NORC at the University of Chicago

GSS Science and Technology (S&T) module

2006, 2008, 2010, 2012

Information sources; interest; visits to informal science institutions; science knowledge; general attitudes; attitudes toward government spending, science/mathematics education, animal research, and nanotechnology

Face-to-face interviews, supplemented by telephone interviews

n = 1,864–2,256; ± 2.5%–3.3%

National Survey of American Public Opinion on Climate Change

American Belief in Climate Change

2012

Attitudes toward climate change

Telephone interviews

n = 726; ± 4.0%

Gallup

Various ongoing surveys

1982–2013

Federal priorities; attitudes toward environmental protection, climate change, nuclear energy, alternative energy, animal research, stem cell research, and quality of science/mathematics education in U.S. public schools

Telephone interviews

n = ~ 1,000; ± 3.0%–4.0%

GfK Roper/Bisconti Research

U.S. Public Opinion Survey

1983–2013

Attitudes toward nuclear energy

Telephone interviews

n = ~ 1,000; ± 3.0%

Harris Interactive

The Harris Poll

1977–2009

Views on occupational prestige

Telephone interviews

n = ~ 1,000 (~ 500 asked about each occupation)

Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, The Pew Charitable Trusts

Poll on consumer attitudes toward genetically modified foods and genetic engineering

2001–06

Attitudes toward genetically modified foods

Telephone interviews

n = 1,000; ± 3.1%

Pew Internet & American Life Project, Pew Research Center

Pew Internet & American Life Survey

2006, 2012

Information sources, interest, involvement, Internet use, library use

Telephone interviews

2006: n = 2,000; ± 3.0%

2012: n = 2,252; ± 2.3%

Pew Research Center

Biennial News Consumption Survey

1994–2012

Information sources, interest, credibility of information sources, top stories, time spent following the news

Telephone interviews

1994, 1998–2012: n = 3,000–3,667; ± 2.0%–2.5%

1996: n = 1,751; ± 3.0%

Pew Research Center

General Public Science Survey

2009

Public’s beliefs about S&T-related issues and benefits of science to well-being of society

Telephone interviews

n = 2,001; ± 2.5%

Pew Research Center

Media surveys (various)

1985–2012

Attitudes toward news media, media believability

Telephone interviews

n = ~ 1,000–1,505; ± 3.4%–4.0%

Pew Research Center

Political surveys (various)

2008–13

Information sources; Internet use; attitudes toward national policy on environment, climate change, and energy; attitudes toward government spending for scientific research

Telephone interviews

n = ~ 1,000–2,250; ± 2.5%–3.5%

Thomson Reuters

National Survey of Healthcare Consumers: Genetically Engineered Food

2010

Attitudes toward genetically modified foods

Telephone interviews

n = 3,025; ± 1.8%

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

VCU Life Sciences Survey

2001–08, 2010

Attitudes toward animal research, stem cell research, and cloning technology

Telephone interviews

n = ~ 1,000; ± 3.0%–3.8%

Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication

Climate Change in the American Mind

2008–12

Attitudes toward climate change

Online (probability-based sample)

n = ~ 1,000; ± 4.0%

NOTES: All surveys are national in scope and based on probability sampling methods. Statistics on the number of respondents and the margin of error are as reported by the sponsoring organization. When a margin of error is not cited, none was given by the sponsor.

BBVA Foundation (Fundación BBVA)

BBVA Foundation International Study on Scientific Culture

2011

Media use, various knowledge and attitudes items

Face-to-face interviews

n = 1,500 for each of 15 countries; ± 2.6%

British Council, Russia

Survey of Public Attitudes Toward Science and Technology in Russia

2003

Various knowledge items

Paper questionnaires

n = 2,107

Chinese Association for Science and Technology, China Research Institute for Science Popularization

Chinese National Survey of Public Scientific Literacy

2007, 2010

Interest, various knowledge and attitude items, information sources, visits to informal science institutions, views on occupational prestige

Face-to-face interviews

2007: n = 10,059

2010: n = 68,416

European Commission

Special Eurobarometer 52.2: The Europeans and Biotechnology (1999)

1999

Attitudes toward nuclear energy

Face-to-face interviews

(EU total) n= 16,082; (Germany) 2,000;

(UK) 1,300;

(Luxembourg) 600;

(12 other countries) ~ 1,000

Special Eurobarometer 224/Wave 63.1: Europeans, Science and Technology (2005)

2005

Views on academic fields, visits to informal science institutions

(EU total) n = 26,403; (Germany) 1,507;

(UK) 1,307;

(Slovakia) 1,241;

(19 other countries) ~ 1,000;

(3 other countries) ~ 500

Special Eurobarometer 224/Wave 64.3: Europeans and Biotechnology in 2005: Patterns and Trends (2006)

2005

Various knowledge items

(EU total) n = ~ 25,000; (each member country/state) ~ 1,000

Special Eurobarometer 300/Wave 69.2: Europeans’ Attitudes Towards Climate Change (2008)

2008

Attitudes toward climate change

(EU total) n = ~ 26,661; (Germany) 1,534;

(UK) 1,306;

(22 other countries) ~ 1,000;

(3 other countries) ~ 500

Special Eurobarometer 340/Wave 73.1: Science and Technology Report (2010)

2010

Attitudes toward science and technology, animal research

(EU total) n = ~ 26,671; (Germany) 1,531;

(UK) 1,311;

(22 other countries) ~ 1,000;

(3 other countries) ~ 500

Special Eurobarometer 341/Wave 73.1: Biotechnology (2010)

2010

Attitudes toward cloning and nuclear energy

(EU total) n = ~ 26,676; (Germany) 1,531;

(UK) 1,316;

(22 other countries) ~ 1,000;

(3 other countries) ~ 500

Special Eurobarometer 365/Wave 75.2: Attitudes of European Citizens Toward the Environment

2011

Attitudes toward the environment

(EU total) n = ~ 26,825; (Germany) 1,588;

(UK) 1,317;

(22 other countries) ~ 1,000;

(3 other countries) ~ 500

Gallup

Global Gallup Reports

2007–08, 2010

Attitudes toward climate change

Face-to-face interviews

Telephone interviews

2007–08: (Total) n = 206,193; ± 1.0%–6.0% (United States and 127 other countries) ~ 2,000 in most countries

2010: (Total) n = ~ 111,000; ± 1.7%–5.7% (United States and 110 other countries) ~ 1,000 each

India National Council of Applied Economic Research

National Science Survey

2004

Various knowledge items, visits to informal science institutions, information sources

Face-to-face interviews

n = 30,255

International Social Survey Programme

Environment Module

1993, 2000, 2010

Various environment and science items

Face-to-face interviews

Paper questionnaires

1993: (Total) n = 28,301; (United States) 1,430; (22 other countries) 767–1,931

2000: (Total) n = 31,042; (United States) 1,276; (37 other countries) 527–1,609

2010: (Total) n = 45,199; (United States) 2,044;(31 other countries) 527–1,609

Japanese Cabinet Office

A Public Opinion Poll on Science, Technology, and Society (except 1998, when it is “...Science and Technology in the Future”)

1990, 1995, 1998, 2004, 2007, 2010

Interest

Face-to-face interviews

1990, 1995, 1998, 2004, 2010: n = ~ 1,900–2,200

2007: n = 1,667

Japan National Institute of Science and Technology Policy, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Survey of Public Attitudes Toward and Understanding of Science and Technology in Japan

2001, 2011

Interest, various knowledge and attitude items, information sources, visits to informal science institutions

Face-to-face interviews

2001: n = 2,146

2011 (July): n =1,010

2011 (Dec.): n =1,208

Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity (formerly Korea Science Foundation)

Survey of Public Attitudes Toward and Understanding of Science and Technology

2004, 2008, 2010

Interest, various knowledge and attitude items, information sources, funding, visits to informal science institutions

Face-to-face interviews

n = 1,000; ± 3.0%–3.1%

Malaysian Science and Technology Information Center, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation

Survey of the Public’s Awareness of Science and Technology: Malaysia

2008

Interest, awareness, various knowledge and attitude items, information sources, visits to informal science institutions

Face-to-face interviews

n = 18,447; ± 1.0%

Ministry of Science and Technology of Brazil

Public Perceptions of Science and Technology

2010

Attitudes toward government spending

Face-to-face interviews

n = ~ 2,000; ± 2.2%

Pew Global Attitudes Project, Pew Research Center

Global Attitudes Survey

2010

Climate change concerns

(Varies by country)

Face-to-face interviews

Telephone interviews

(United States) n = 1,002; ± 4.0% (21 other countries) n = 700–3,262; ± 2.5%–5.0%

EU = European Union; UK = United Kingdom.

NOTES: All surveys are national in scope and based on probability sampling methods. Statistics on the number of respondents and margin of error are as reported by the sponsoring organization. When a margin of error is not cited, none was given by the sponsor.