Our rigorous process and robust methodology changes the way science information is generated and shared.

The purpose of SciOPS is to change fundamentally the way information about science and society is generated by members of the science, technology and innovation (STI) community and consumed by policy makers, business people, journalists and the public. SciOPS surveys systematically capture and display the diversity of expert knowledge and understanding on select topics, giving the STI community a stronger and empirically valid voice in society

The SciOPS design includes: 1) recruiting and managing a representative standing panel of over 10,000 members of the STI community from multiple sectors, demographics, and fields of science and technology; 2) selecting relevant topics for frequent surveys of the panel using a variety of methods explained in detail below; 3) administering rapid online surveys to select members of the panel based on topic area; 4) undertaking high-quality careful review of collected data; 5) developing and displaying infographic representations of the data in accessible, relevant formats, so that users may interact with and share the findings (future design); 6) enabling site users to react immediately through closed-ended queries or short open-ended fields for suggesting new questions or future topics; and 7) ensuring transparency and demonstrating methodological rigor by providing detailed information on our survey processes, potential biases and limitations.

We select survey topics based on two different modes of curation: slow cycle and fast cycle. Slow cycle topics and metrics cover consistent subjects relating to enabling environments, measure changes over time in panel opinions and ideas, and address issues that are not necessarily time-sensitive. To generate slow cycle topics and validate survey content, we will recruit a standing multi-disciplinary, multi-sector, and gender-diverse Advisory Board that will meet bi-annually and participate in workshops to select and discuss topics, identify gaps in knowledge and needs for outside consultation on these topics, and inform broad themes for survey content for each new year. Advisory Board members will include experts from multiple disciplines who also bring important visibility and validation to SciOPS.

Fast cycle topics respond to urgent client needs and concerns related to critical events and news items. For fast cycle topics, we will rapidly produce question content, select a random sample of respondents from the SciOPS sample frame, administer surveys, and analyze and post findings. We will ensure quality control for all slow and fast cycle survey instrument design through our Technical Review Committee of survey methodology experts.