%O This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.
%T Debunk, Inform, Avoid? Debunking vaccine-related misinformation: a rapid evidence review
%I EPPI Centre, UCL Social Research Institute, UCL Institute of Education
%L discovery10171147
%D 2022
%C London, UK
%X BACKGROUND: Misinformation about COVID-19 has proliferated in digital and physical environments throughout the pandemic, undermining public health efforts to tackle the virus. Developing effective ways to counter COVID-19 misinformation and its spread has therefore become a key challenge for policymakers, public health practitioners, and communications professionals. OBJECTIVE: To identify, characterise and synthesise accumulating research knowledge about COVID-19 misinformation in order to provide stakeholders with evidence they need to help tackle the spread and impacts of misinformation in COVID-19 and future public health emergencies. KEY COMPONENTS: This project had two components: Living evidence map: An evidence map comprising bibliographic records of published articles reporting empirical research studies on misinformation in COVID-19, organised by topic and other selected study characteristics. From May to December 2022, this map was continuously maintained as a 'living map'. In December 2022, we stopped maintaining this map and published a final archived version. Rapid evidence review: A rapid review of research evidence that aimed to address the following question: For whom and/or under what circumstances is debunking misinformation about vaccines likely to be more effective than either providing accurate information only, or not responding, for: •    Reducing people’s vaccine-related misinformation beliefs; •    Changing people’s attitudes to vaccines; •    Reducing people’s vaccine hesitancy or resistance, or increasing their intentions to be vaccinated; and/or •    Increasing people’s uptake of vaccines?
%A I Shemilt
%A G Hollands
%A C Stansfield
%A J Thomas