Protect the safety of researchers

Abstract

An accommodating and supportive environment is essential to conducting scientific research. Yet, in almost every country, researchers can experience harassment, threats, prosecution, or even violence for opinions they express or for their work in relation to high-profile issues. Although many international and regional reports on this issue are patchy in terms of comprehensiveness and representation, they reveal clear and worrying trends-namely, that researchers working in politically charged fields such as public health, climate, and sexual and reproductive rights are prone to threats to their safety. The scientific community must heighten awareness and catalyze change if science is to remain a bedrock of societal well-being.