Capacities and competences in dealing with hate speech and hostility towards science (CAPAZ)

Verbal attacks and threats against researchers on social media are a significant part of hostility towards science. They can have a negative impact on scientists’ willingness to engage with societal actors or to communicate their knowledge publicly. Therefore, it is immensely important to prevent hostility towards science and attacks on researchers. So far, however, there is a lack of effective resources, strategies and measures to deal with these attacks and their effects at the level of both, individual scientists and institutions. Consequently, capacities and competencies are needed for researchers and scientific institutions to deal with modern forms of hostility towards science.