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Studying Science Inequities: How to Use Surveys to Study Diverse Populations (WP-21-51)

Robin Bayes, James Druckman, and Alauna Safarpour

Inequities in science have long been documented in the United States. Particular groups such as low-income, non-White people and indigenous people fare worse when it comes to healthcare, infectious diseases, climate change, and access to technology. These types of inequities can be partially addressed with targeted interventions aimed at facilitating access to scientific information. Doing so requires knowledge about what different groups think when it comes to relevant scientific topics. Yet, most data collections on science-based issues do not include enough respondents from these populations. The authors discuss this gap and offer an overview of pertinent sampling and administrative considerations in studying underserved populations. A sustained effort to study diverse populations, including through community partnerships, can help address extant inequities.

This paper is published in The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.

Robin Bayes, Department of Political Science and IPR Graduate Research Assistant, Northwestern University

James Druckman, Payson S. Wild Professor of Political Science and IPR Fellow, Northwestern University

Alauna Safarpour, Postdoctoral Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

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