1 Estimates from the 2021 GSS Cross-section Study are not directly comparable to previous GSS estimates of related concepts due to differences in data collection methodology implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as differences in question phrasing.

2 The Pew Research Center provided restricted-use data from November 2020 for this analysis that are presented here and in other sections of this report with the center’s permission. The Pew Research Center’s ATP is a nationally representative survey panel composed of more than 10,000 randomly selected adults in the United States. Respondents are frequently surveyed about a variety of topics over time, allowing researchers to build a more detailed understanding of public opinion than is possible with a single survey. New panelists are added each year to replace panelists who have dropped out or been retired from the panel. One concern with the ATP is that panelists may become conditioned to the questions, spurring them to change their behavior in response to a survey or become more skilled at answering the questions. Still, many ATP surveys interview only a subset of the panelists, which prevents survey fatigue and helps ensure that the surveys are nationally representative with less weighting. For more information about the ATP, see https://www.pewresearch.org/our-methods/u-s-surveys/the-american-trends-panel/.

3 3M shared data for this analysis that are presented here and used with 3M’s permission. The 3M State of Science Index Survey is an independent, nationally representative research study commissioned by 3M to track global attitudes toward science. It has been conducted annually since 2018, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, two waves of data were released in 2020 after an additional survey was fielded during summer 2020. The 2020 Pre-Pandemic Survey was conducted in 14 countries, while the 2020 Pandemic Pulse Survey was conducted in 11 countries; the United States was included in both surveys. For more information about the survey methodology, see https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/state-of-science-index-survey/2020-summary/.

4 As noted earlier, the Pew Research Center provided restricted-use data from November 2020 for this analysis that are presented here and used with the center’s permission.

5 As noted earlier, 3M shared data for this analysis that are presented here and used with their permission.