Also see UNESCO's recently updated Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers, which provides guidance, including on issues related to academic freedom, for research institutions, individuals, and organizations that practice, regulate, and promote science. UNESCO, the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, and the UNESCO Netherlands Commission have also produced a brochure that provides more information on the Recommendation.
The UCS Science Protection Project addresses situations of inappropriate political influence on science, such as the use of censorship and the misuse of open records laws, such as the Freedom of Information Act, to attack the work of scientists. Visit its website for details about how to securely share information with UCS.
The National Coalition Against Censorship(NCAC) promotes freedom of thought, inquiry, and expression and opposes censorship in all of its forms. The NCAC website includes a Science and Censorship section that depicts the various ways in which scientific research can be censored. Its website also features a Science Archive that features resources and reports on specific incidents of scientific censorship.
To request assistance, fill out GAP's intake form or call (202) 457-0034.
Rights Reference Materials (for individuals living in the United States)
The work of scientists, engineers, and health professionals and their support of academic freedom and scientific independence sometimes puts them at risk. Below is information on relevant rights.
Information on speaking out for science and scientific independence:
At the 153rd Annual Meeting of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Lisa Anderson, a political scientist and recent past President of the American University in Cairo, presented on current issues surrounding academic freedom. Dr. Anderson offers her thoughts on how to respond to threats to academic freedom in her article, Academic Freedom in a Globalized World, adapted from her remarks at the meeting and published in Science & Diplomacy.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has released a report, Open Science by Design, on the benefits of open science. The report, which focuses on stakeholder perspectives, includes recommendations for fostering openness throughout the research process. Open Science aims to ensure the free availability and usability of scholarly publications, the data that result from scholarly research, and the methodologies, including code or algorithms, that were used to generate those data.
During the 2018 National Academy of Sciences' Annual Meeting, Dr. Homa Hoodfar, Emerita Professor of Anthropology at Concordia University, presented on the importance of academic freedom. Since being detained in an Iranian prison on charges related to her academic work, Dr. Hoodfar has focused on examining the complexities of academic freedom. To learn more, read an excerpt of her remarks on academic freedom as a transnational right, given at the 2017 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences.
