COVID-19 Canadian Social Impacts Survey & Interviews

We are running a series of cross-Canada surveys and interviews to better understand the social dimensions of the Coronavirus outbreak and to help inform response efforts.

Latest Publication:

What do Canadians think about the COVID-19 vaccine? We explored the views of those who wanted to delay getting the vaccine to understand their views, concerns, and hopes.

To learn more, click on the image to the left, or visit the report here.

Academic Publications

Published

Chaufan, C., Ilinca A. Dutescu, Hanah Fekre, Saba Marzabadi, & K.J. Noh. (2021). The Military as a Neglected Pathogen Transmitter, From the Nineteenth Century to COVID-19: A Systematic Review. Glob health res policy 6(48). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41256-021-00232-0


Kennedy, Eric B., Jean-François Daoust, Jenna Vikse, & Vivian Nelson. (2021). “Until I Know It’s Safe for Me”: The Role of Timing in COVID-19 Vaccine Decision-Making and Vaccine Hesitancy. Vaccines, 9(12), 1417. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9121417


Fafard, Patrick., Adele Cassola, Margaret MacAulay, & Michèle Palkovits. (2021). The politics and policy of Canada’s Covid-19 response. In S. L. Greer, E. J. King, E. M. da Fonseca, & A. Peralta-Santos (Eds.), Coronavirus politics: The comparative politics and policy of COVID-19 (pp. 459–477). University of Michigan Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3998/mpub.11927713.27


Wu, Cary., Eric B. Kennedy, Yue Qian, & Rima Wilkes. (2021). Anti-Asian Racism during COVID-19: How Have Native-Born Asians and Foreign-Born Asians Fared Differently? Pre-print available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3935761


Jensen, Eric A., Eric B Kennedy, & Ethan Greenwood. (2021). Pandemic: Public Feeling More Positive About Science (Correspondence). Nature 591:34. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00542-w


Claudia Chaufan & K. J. Noh. “The neglected role of the military as a disease vector: Implications for Covid-19 and for global public health policy”. Social Medicine, 14 (3), pp.61-67. Available through SSRN at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3875608


Kennedy, Eric B., Jenna Vikse, Claudia Chaufan, Kieran O’Doherty, Cary Wu, Yue Qian, & Patrick Fafard. (2020). Canadian COVID-19 Social Impacts Survey. Rapid Summary of Results #1: Risk Perceptions, Trust, Impacts, and Responses (York University Disaster and Emergency Management Technical Report #004). http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.12121905. (25pp).


Wu, Cary, Rima Wilkes, Yue Qian, & Eric B. Kennedy. (2020). Acute Discrimination and East Asian-White Mental Health Gap during COVID-19 in Canada. Canadian Diversity 17(3): 60-66. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3626460


Jensen, Eric, Aaron Jensen, Axel Pfleger, Eric B. Kennedy, & Ethan Greenwood. March 12, 2021. “Has the Pandemic Changed Public Attitudes About Science?” London School of Economics Impact Blog. Online, available at https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2021/03/12/has-the-pandemic-changed-public-attitudes-about-science

Forthcoming

Kennedy, Eric B., Eric Jensen, & Aaron Jensen. Forthcoming (accepted October 18th, 2021). “Methodological Considerations for Survey-Based Research during Emergencies and Public Health Crises: Improving the Quality of Evidence & Science Communication.” Frontiers in Communication.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2021.736195/abstract

Pre-registered Research Protocols

Joyal-Desmarais, Keven, Jovana Stojanovic, Joanne Enticott, Vincent Gosselin Boucher, Eric B. Kennedy, Mariam Atoui, & Hung Vo. (2021). “Examining the Comparability Between the Canadian Representative Sample and the Convenience Samples of the iCARE Study.” https://mbmc-cmcm.ca/icare-kjd-0020-establishing-the-comparability-between-the-icare-representative-and-convenience-samples/

Under Review

O’Doherty, K. C. “Trust, trustworthiness, and relationships: Ontological reflections on public trust in science.” Submitted to Journal of Responsible Innovation.


Kennedy, Eric B., Mia Charifson, Megan Jehn, Eric A. Jensen, & Jenna Vikse. “Prospective Sampling Bias in COVID-19 Recruitment Methods: Experimental Evidence from a National Randomized Survey Testing Recruitment Materials.” Submitted to BMC Medical Research Methodology.


Wu, Cary, Eric B. Kennedy, Yue Qian, & Rima Wilkes. “Anti-Asian Racism During COVID-19: How have Native-born Asians and Foreign-born Asians Fared Differently?” Submitted to Migration, Mobility, and Displacement.

Expert Advising/Testimony


Kennedy, Eric B., January 22 & February 5, 2021. Invited expert panelist on behavioural sciences regarding vaccine hesitancy. Canadian Chief Science Advisor’s Expert Panel on COVID-19.Learn more about the panel here: https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/063.nsf/eng/h_98013.html


Kennedy, Eric B., November 10, 2020. Invited presentation on national survey & ‘COVID fatigue.’ Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. Learn more about the table here: https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/


Office of the Chief Scientist of Canada. August 20, 2020. Report from the CSA Expert Panel on COVID-19 Strategic Communication for Testing and Contact Tracing. (Internal government technical report) https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/063.nsf/eng/h_98013.html


Kennedy, Eric B., July 24, July 31, August 7, 2020. Invited expert panelist on risk and behavioural sciences. Canadian Chief Science Advisor’s Expert Panel on COVID-19. Learn more about the panel here: https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/063.nsf/eng/h_98013.html


Invited Talks

Chaufan, Claudia. August 11, 2021. “The military as a disease vector, from the 19th century to COVID-19: Implications for global health policy and equity – seminar with Prof. Chaufan”. Invited speaker for Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research Seminar, York University, Toronto, Canada (presented remotely during COVID-19). https://www.yorku.ca/dighr/event/the-military-as-a-disease-vector-from-the-19th-century-to-covid-19-implications-for-global-health-policy-and-equity-seminar-with-prof-chaufan/


Kennedy, Eric B. July 28, 2021. Invited discussant for session “What is the impact of public deference to scientific authority?” United States Department of Energy’s Communicating the Future: Engaging the Public in Basic Science conference (presented remotely during COVID-19). https://scipep.org/event/communicating-the-future-engaging-the-public-in-basic-science/


Chaufan, Claudia. June 9, 2021. “The military as a disease vector, from the 19th century to COVID-19: Implications for global health policy and equity”. Presented as part of “York Scholar’s Hub @ Home Series, York University, Toronto, Canada (presented remotely during COVID-19). https://fb.watch/a0je8FcEU3/


Wu, Cary, Eric B. Kennedy, Yue Qian, & Rima Wilkes. May 31, 2021. “Anti-Asian racism during COVID-19: How have native-born Asians and foreign-born Asians fared differently?” Canadian Sociological Association (presented remotely during COVID-19). https://congress2021.ca/sites/default/files/association/2021/05/59-csa-scs-2021-05-24-final.pdf


Kennedy, Eric B. December 1, 2020. “Cognitive, Behavioural, and Human Factors in COVID-19.” Invited talk for TTI Vanguard [next] Conference (presented remotely during COVID-19). https://www.ttivanguard.com/TTI-VANGUARD/next-Virtual-Conference


Kennedy, Eric B. & Eric Jensen. October 13, 2020. “Social science and survey research in COVID-19.” Invited talk in the “COVID Calls” Series, Drexel University (presented remotely during COVID-19). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Spg6pERrus


Kennedy, Eric B. September 29, 2020. “Pandemics, Fires, and Other Catastrophes: Science & Technology Studies in the Governance of Emergencies.” Invited talk in the Science & Technology Studies Seminar Series, York University, Toronto, Canada (presented remotely during COVID-19) https://yfile.news.yorku.ca/2020/09/27/research-seminar-series-in-science-technology-studies-examines-fires-and-other-catastrophes/ .


Kennedy, Eric B. September 16, 2020. “Evidence needs in social science COVID-19 research.” Invited panelist for Evidence for Democracy, Ottawa, Canada (presented remotely during COVID-19). https://evidencefordemocracy.ca/en/content/panel-covid-19-and-canadas-data-needs


O’Doherty, Kieran. May 20-30, 2020. Trust, Trustworthiness, and Governance in Times of COVID. Invited Keynote Presentation at The Psychology of Global Crises – Virtual Conference hosted by The American University of Paris, https://www.aup.edu/psychology-global-crises.


Kennedy, Eric B. May 21, 2020. “COVID-19, Canadian Views and Crisis Management.” Presented as part of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada’s “Governing Through Crisis” series (presented remotely during COVID-19). https://www.ipac.ca/NCR_FR/iCore/Events/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=WEB20GTC05&WebsiteKey=b80c47b4-709f-4629-8ff8-be1e1ab8be6a

Public Invited Lectures and Panels

Kennedy, Eric B. April 17, 2021. “Contagion & Conflagration: Emergency Management in a Time of Infection.” Presented as part of “York Circle” event The Impact of the Pandemic on the Environment, York University, Toronto, Canada (presented remotely during COVID-19). https://www.yorku.ca/alumniandfriends/event/york-circle-home-the-impact-of-the-pandemic-on-the-environment/


Kennedy, Eric B. March 31, 2020. “York University Expert Panel on COVID-19.” Invited panelist for Scholars’ Hub @ Home Series, York University, Toronto, Canada (presented remotely during COVID-19). https://fb.watch/a0wpr4S2c6/

Conferences and Conference Presentations

Conferences, Workshops, and Working Groups Organized

Kennedy, Eric B. Founder/organizer of International working group on COVID-19 survey research methods. https://www.cemppr.org/research/covid-19-survey-research-working-group

Conference Presentations

Chaufan, Claudia. June 2, 2021. “Documenting the presence of an absence: A critical assessment of the medical literature on the military as a pathogen transmitter, from the World Wars to COVID-19”. Presented as part of “Empire and colonialism: Origins, histories, and aftermaths” session at the Canadian Sociological Association’s 2021 Annual Conference (presented remotely during COVID-19). https://congress2021.ca/sites/default/files/association/2021/03/59-csa-scs-2021-03-19-draft.pdf

Media

February 18, 2021. When pandemics and discrimination collide: researchers track the impacts of COVID-19 on Chinese Canadians and learn from their community capacity. Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. http://www.ideas-idees.ca/blog/when-pandemics-and-discrimination-collide- researchers-track-impacts-covid-19-chinese-canadians.


June 19, 2020. East Asian Canadians face a ‘disproportionate’ mental health impact of COVID, study says. Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/06/19/east-asian-canadians-face-a-disproportionate-mental-health-impact-of-covid-study-says.html


April 15, 2020. Canadians value science, medical advice over economic factors in COVID-19 response: York U study. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/york-university-covid19-survey-1.5531986. (Interview also used on CBC Radio).


March 29, 2020. Experts study how coronavirus pandemic affects trust in officials, ourselves. The Canadian Press. CTV News and other outlets. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/experts-study-how-coronavirus-pandemic-affects-trust-in-officials-ourselves-1.4873359

Appearances as Guest Expert Television

November 25, 2020. Interview on COVID-19 Decision-making and Ontario Auditor General Report. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/7482841/coronavirus-ontario-auditor-general-report-communications/

Radio

December 18, 2020. Interview on COVID-19. 660 News Calgary. (Provincial/Canada, pre-recorded, 12 minutes).


December 2, 2020. Interview on vaccine decision-making. Radio-Canada. (National/Canada, pre-recorded, various clips aired and used in online content, see https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1754120/vaccination-sondage-manitoba-reaction-covid19).

Print and Online

June 14 & 15, 2021. An injection of hope: What we learned from the vaccine rollout and COVID-19 and the Road to Recovery. Ashley Goodfellow Craig, York University “YFile.” https://yfile.news.yorku.ca/2021/06/13/an-injection-of-hope-what-we-learned-from-the-vaccine-rollout/.


January 14, 2020. ‘We need everyone to use their best judgement:’ Questions linger as stay-at-home order descends on the province. Taylor Blewett, Ottawa Citizen. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/we-need-everyone-to-use-their-best-judgment-questions-linger-as-stay-at-home-order-descends-on-the-province.


December 14, 2020. ‘Le premier centre de vaccination du Manitoba se prépare à Winnipeg.’ Radio-Canada. (interview also used for radio content). https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1757089/vaccin-covid-travailleurs-sante-winnipeg-manitoba-sante.


November 30, 2020. 'It's easy to dismiss them, unfortunately:' What's behind non-adherence to the public health pandemic guidelines? Taylor Blewett, Ottawa Citizen. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/mistrust-fatigue-inconsistency-why-arent-people-following-the-public-health-guidance.


November 25, 2020. Auditor general highlights Ontario’s ‘confusing,’ indirect communications on COVID-19 in new report. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/7482841/coronavirus-ontario-auditor-general-report-communications/

Theses and Major Research Papers (Undergraduate & Graduate Studies)

Sarah Cowan, co-supervised by Eric B. Kennedy and Jennifer A. Spinney. Underway. Assessing the Public Perception of Fairness and Equity in COVID-19 Government Measures. Masters in Disaster & Emergency Management, York University.


Emily Patterson, supervised by Kieran C. O’Doherty. Parents’ Experiences of Navigating Roles During COVID-19. 2021-2022. Bachelor of Arts Psychology, University of Guelph.


Angela Delodder, supervised by Kieran C. O’Doherty. 2021-2022. Canadians’ Reflections on Transformational Change During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Analysis. Bachelor of Arts Psychology, University of Guelph.


Anna (Mikaela) Beijbom, supervised by Kieran C. O’Doherty. 2021-2022. Constructions of Parenthood and Childhood During the Canadian COVID-19 Pandemic. Masters in Applied Social Psychology, University of Guelph.


Nathan Yiu, supervised by Eric B. Kennedy. 2020-2021 Combating Stigma in Infectious Disease: A Scoping Review of De-stigmatization Campaigns. Masters in Disaster & Emergency Management, York University.


Vivian Nelson, supervised by Kieran C. O’Doherty. 2020-2021. Between Injection and Objection: A Thematic Analysis of Ontarians’ Perspectives on a COVID-19 Vaccine. Masters in Applied Social Psychology, University of Guelph. https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10214/25750/Nelson_Vivian_202105_MA.pdf?sequence=4&isAllowed=y

Learn More

If you want to receive updates about what we find, please email ebk@yorku.ca.

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