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Are There Differences Between the Public's Perceptions and Researchers' Perceptions?

* Researchers are more positive than the public in their assessment of science and technology (positive aspects and negative aspects)

* Differences in perception are noted ( Figure 7 ). For example, approximately forty percent of the people responding to the survey feel many scientists and researchers are not interested in people and society. Almost seventy percent of the researchers surveyed, however, believe that researchers contribute to society.

Figure 7 The public's perception of scientists and researchers' perception of themselves

* These results indicate that steps must be taken to build understanding with the public in order to avoid significant differences in perception and opinion between the public and the research community.

Research Community as a Whole: Understanding and Considering Economic and Social Needs

* Approximately eighty percent of the researchers indicated they take economic and social needs into account in carrying out their research. However, only seventy percent of the respondents feel that, on the whole, research in their discipline considers economic and social needs. With regard to the research community as a whole, the percentage of respondents who believe economic and social needs are considered dropped even more, to just over fifty percent ( Figure 8 ).

Figure 8 Researchers' awareness with regard to understanding and considering economic and social needs

The researchers believed that they are responding to economic and social needs in their own research, but, in assessing their counterparts in other research and in other fields of research, they indicated uncertainty as to whether these factors were being sufficiently considered.

* As for methods employed to gain understanding of economic and social needs, most researchers indicated this would be achieved through channels inside and in close proximity to the research community such as "from scientific trends in scientific societies and associations" and "through job" ( Figure 9 ). Researchers said they would like to use opportunities such as lectures open to the general public and seminars at public community colleges and universities in order to explain their research. Researchers should actively pursue and use these types of opportunities to gain understanding of economic and social needs.

Figure 9 Methods by which researchers gain understanding of economic and social needs

Public Interest and Explanations to the Public

Approximately sixty percent of the general public is interested in science and technology, and sixty percent of the researchers surveyed said they felt the general public has an interest in their research. In addition, more than sixty percent of the public indicated they believe they are capable of understanding scientific and technical information when explained in an easy-to-understand manner, and approximately eighty percent of the researchers thought the public would understand their research if it were explained in an easy-to-understand manner. There is a difference of degree, but researchers and the public are in agreement on this point ( Figure 10 ).

Figure 10 Interest in and understanding of science and technology

* Just less than seventy percent of the researchers indicated they would like to explain their research in order that the general public could understand it. Researchers must make efforts to build understanding and trust by actively participating in direct discussions and dialogues with the public ( Figure 11 ).

Figure 11 Researchers' awareness: Efforts to help the public gain understanding of science and technology

* In order to build public understanding, trust, and support for science and technology, the government must also take steps to ensure ample opportunities for researchers to have direct exchanges and interaction with the public and with young people.

Gaining Public Understanding and Support for Space Exploration and Research

* Space exploration is a field of research that requires enormous funding, and, in promoting space exploration and research, it is important to provide the public with sufficient information in order to gain understanding and support. Moreover, in carrying out space exploration and research, we must overcome prior mistakes made in the process, and use those mistakes to achieve results that make a significant contribution to society.

Ethical Issues and Science and Technology

* Bioethics must be carefully debated and discussed from various perspectives, including science, ethics, religion, and law.

* Carrying out these sorts of debates and discussions will also help foster appropriate development of science and technology in relation to ethics.

Drastic reforms in the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation and rebuilding public trust

* After accidents and the inappropriate response that followed, it is clear that drastic reforms in the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation are necessary. As part of these reforms, preparations are currently underway to reorganize this corporation into the "Nuclear Fuel Cycle Development Agency (tentative, to be officially named in English)".

* With regard to the problem of the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation, the importance of the entire research community actively taking measures now to disseminate information, gain the understanding, trust, and support of the public, and to grasp the needs of the public is very clear. In particular, policies on science and technology must become open and highly transparent.

Promoting Understanding Between the Public and the Research Community

* In consideration of the above, from now on, the research community as a whole must,

* Feedback, proposals, and questions from the public with regard to science and technology are also important to strengthening the extensive and overlooking perspective of the research community. Deepening the public's interest to science and technology is also important.

* Conditions of economic development and science and technology differ for each country. There are cultural differences as well. These differences have the potential to cause major problems for international cooperation and mutual understanding. For this reason, it is important that Japan explain its point of view and its endeavors to the international community and obtain the understanding and trust of the international community.

* Endeavors undertaken to promote understanding with the public in Japan are applicable to relations with the international community as well.