Research

MISI’s research examines how knowledge comes to be trusted and how messengers become trustworthy, tracing this process from the production of scientific knowledge to its circulation through media and public life.

We study trust not as a fixed property of institutions or facts, but as something continually made and remade through communication, context, and encounter. This includes work on how knowledge is constructed within scientific and expert communities, how it travels and transforms as it moves through media and local political contexts, and how communities come to accept or reject it as credible. Set against the backdrop of a deeply fractured society, our research asks what it would take to rebuild trust not as consensus, but as a durable, evolving relationship between knowledge and the publics it serves.

Our approach is distinct from conventional think tanks or innovation labs.

We combine rigorous scholarship with applied experimentation, working in long-term partnership with communities, journalists, policymakers, and civic institutions. This allows us to test, refine, and evaluate new forms of communication in real-world contexts, with the goal of advancing more accountable, inclusive, and trustworthy practices.

By embedding research in practice, MISI produces knowledge that is actionable, ethically grounded, and designed to make lasting social impact.

Initiatives

Civic Science, Communication + Public Engagement
Publics • Communication • Trust

Recent Projects

Publications

Click here for an archive of MISI’s publications.