A F

Alexandra Freeman

Employment

Organisation	Role	Department	Start date	End date
House of Lords	Crossbench peer	Not specified	2024-06-14
University of Cambridge	Executive Director	Not specified	2016-10	2024-01-31
BBC	Researcher, Producer/Director, Series Producer	Not specified	2000-01	2016-10

Education

Organisation	Degree/title	Department	Start date	End date
University of Oxford	DPhil (thesis title: Butterflies as Signal Receivers)	Not specified	1995	1998
University of Oxford	Biological Sciences with Supplementary Biological Anthropology	Not specified	1992	1995

Works

Title	DOI	Published date
Do colored cells in risk matrices affect decision-making and risk perception? Insights from randomized controlled studies	10.1111/risa.14091	2023
COVID-19 risk perception and hoax beliefs in the US immediately before and after the announcement of President Trump's diagnosis	10.1098/rsos.212013	2022
Investigating the presentation of uncertainty in an icon array: A randomized trial	10.1016/j.pecinn.2021.100003	2022
Making BRCA1 genetic test reports easier to understand through user-centered design: A randomized trial	10.1016/j.gim.2022.04.016	2022
The adverse effects of trastuzumab-containing regimes as a therapy in breast cancer: A piggy-back systematic review and meta-analysis	10.1371/journal.pone.0275321	2022
The effects of communicating scientific uncertainty on trust and decision making in a public health context	No DOI available.	2022
Expert elicitation on the relative importance of possible SARS-CoV-2 transmission routes and the effectiveness of mitigations.	10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050869	2021-12
The effects of President Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis on hoax beliefs and risk perceptions of the virus in the U.S.	10.31234/osf.io/frxt8	2021-12
Visualising SARS-CoV-2 transmission routes and mitigations.	10.1136/bmj-2021-065312	2021-12
The effects of quality of evidence communication on perception of public health information about COVID-19: Two randomised controlled trials.	10.1371/journal.pone.0259048	2021-11
Clinical Impact of the Predict Prostate Risk Communication Tool in Men Newly Diagnosed with Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer: A Multicentre Randomised Controlled Trial.	10.1016/j.eururo.2021.08.001	2021-09
How People Understand Risk Matrices, and How Matrix Design Can Improve their Use: Findings from Randomized Controlled Studies.	10.1111/risa.13822	2021-09
The effects of communicating uncertainty around statistics on public trust: an international study	10.1101/2021.09.27.21264202	2021-09
How Accurate Are Accuracy-Nudge Interventions? A Preregistered Direct Replication of Pennycook et al. (2020).	10.1177/09567976211024535	2021-06
Redevelopment of the Predict: Breast Cancer website and recommendations for developing interfaces to support decision-making.	10.1002/cam4.4072	2021-06
How do the UK public interpret COVID-19 test results? Comparing the impact of official information about results and reliability used in the UK, USA and New Zealand: a randomised controlled trial.	10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047731	2021-05
How well did experts and laypeople forecast the size of the COVID-19 pandemic?	10.1371/journal.pone.0250935	2021-05
Communicating personalized risks from COVID-19: guidelines from an empirical study.	10.1098/rsos.201721	2021-04
Effect of Information about COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness and Side Effects on Behavioural Intentions: Two Online Experiments	10.3390/vaccines9040379	2021-04
The effects of quality of evidence communication on perception of public health information about COVID-19: two randomised controlled trials	10.1101/2021.04.07.21255010	2021-04
The adverse effects of bisphosphonates in breast cancer: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.	10.1371/journal.pone.0246441	2021-02
Clinical impact of the <i>Predict</i> Prostate risk communication tool in men newly diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer: a multi-centre randomised controlled trial	10.1101/2021.01.24.21249948	2021-01
COVID-19 risk perception: a longitudinal analysis of its predictors and associations with health protective behaviours in the United Kingdom	10.1080/13669877.2021.1890637	2021
Correlates of intended COVID-19 vaccine acceptance across time and countries: Results from a series of cross-sectional surveys	10.1136/bmjopen-2020-048025	2021
Effect of information format on intentions and beliefs regarding diagnostic imaging for non-specific low back pain: A randomised controlled trial in members of the public	10.1016/j.pec.2020.08.021	2021
How do the public interpret COVID-19 swab test results? Comparing the impact of official information about results and reliability used in the UK, US and New Zealand: a randomised, controlled trial	10.1101/2020.12.04.20243840	2020-12
Predictors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance across time and countries	10.1101/2020.12.09.20246439	2020-12
Five rules for evidence communication.	10.1038/d41586-020-03189-1	2020-11
Communicating personalised risks from COVID-19: guidelines from an empirical study	10.1101/2020.10.05.20206961	2020-10
Susceptibility to misinformation about COVID-19 around the world.	10.1098/rsos.201199	2020-10
Teaching clinicians shared decision making and risk communication online: an evaluation study.	10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111521	2020-09
Communicating risks and benefits to cardiology patients.	10.1136/heartjnl-2020-317593	2020-08
The effects of communicating uncertainty on public trust in facts and numbers.	10.1073/pnas.1913678117	2020-03
Recommendations for designing genetic test reports to be understood by patients and non-specialists.	10.1038/s41431-020-0579-y	2020-02
Making prognostic algorithms useful in shared decision-making: Patients and clinicians’ requirements for the Predict:Breast Cancer interface	10.1101/2020.11.16.20232348	2020
Risk communication in tables versus text: A registered report randomized trial on 'fact boxes'	10.1098/rsos.190876	2020
Risk perceptions of COVID-19 around the world	10.1080/13669877.2020.1758193	2020
Correction: Creating genetic reports that are understood by nonspecialists: a case study.	10.1038/s41436-019-0663-2	2019-09
Creating genetic reports that are understood by nonspecialists: a case study.	10.1038/s41436-019-0649-0	2019-09
How to communicate evidence to patients.	10.1136/dtb.2019.000008	2019-08
Communicating uncertainty about facts, numbers and science.	10.1098/rsos.181870	2019-05
Communicating health risks in science publications: time for everyone to take responsibility.	10.1186/s12916-018-1194-4	2018-11
Winners and losers: communicating the potential impacts of policies	10.1057/s41599-018-0121-9	2018-06
Communicating risk in primary care: what the Academy of Medical Sciences' report means in practice.	10.3399/bjgp17x691793	2017-08
PROMIS - Prostate MR imaging study: A paired validating cohort study evaluating the role of multi-parametric MRI in men with clinical suspicion of prostate cancer	10.1016/j.cct.2015.02.008	2015
First authentic capture of a coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae (Pisces: Latimeriidae), off Madagascar	No DOI available.	1996
The evolution of self-concealed ovulation in humans	10.1016/0162-3095(95)00071-2	1995

Octopus publications

Showing

Research Problem

What approaches do research funders have towards alternative publishing platforms, and how important are they in the context of funders’ wider scholarly communication strategies?

Research question 1 for “Innovating Scholarly Communication: Navigating the future of alternative publishing platforms” project.

Published July 2, 2025, by D. Beucke, S. Brandt, A. Chiarelli, X. van Edig, K. Fraser, A. Freeman, C. Hansen, R. Johnson, B. Kramer, J. Lutz, A. Morthorst, S. Pinfield, R. Riise, J. Seppänen

Research Problem

What factors affect a researcher's decision to use (or not) an alternative publishing platform?

Research question 5 for “Innovating Scholarly Communication: Navigating the future of alternative publishing platforms” project.

Published July 2, 2025, by D. Beucke, S. Brandt, A. Chiarelli, X. van Edig, K. Fraser, A. Freeman, C. Hansen, R. Johnson, B. Kramer, J. Lutz, A. Morthorst, S. Pinfield, R. Riise, J. Seppänen

Research Problem

What lessons can be learnt from experience with alternative publishing platforms?

Research question 4 for “Innovating Scholarly Communication: Navigating the future of alternative publishing platforms” project.

Published July 1, 2025, by K. Fraser, D. Beucke, S. Brandt, A. Chiarelli, X. van Edig, A. Freeman, C. Hansen, R. Johnson, B. Kramer, J. Lutz, A. Morthorst, S. Pinfield, R. Riise, J. Seppänen

Research Problem

What are the immediate and pressing challenges that alternative publishing platforms are trying to address?

Research question 2 for “Innovating Scholarly Communication: Navigating the future of alternative publishing platforms” project.

Published July 1, 2025, by D. Beucke, S. Brandt, A. Chiarelli, K. Fraser, X. van Edig, A. Freeman, C. Hansen, R. Johnson, B. Kramer, J. Lutz, A. Morthorst, S. Pinfield, R. Riise, J. Seppänen

Research Problem

What types and formats of publication do funders and researchers consider to be “legitimate” research outputs?

Research question 3 for “Innovating Scholarly Communication: Navigating the future of alternative publishing platforms” project.

Published July 1, 2025, by D. Beucke, S. Brandt, A. Chiarelli, X. van Edig, K. Fraser, A. Freeman, C. Hansen, R. Johnson, B. Kramer, J. Lutz, A. Morthorst, S. Pinfield, R. Riise, J. Seppänen

Rationale / Hypothesis

Theoretical rationale for investigating the effects of communicating uncertainty around future projections of the effects of COVID-19

Research in fields such as weather forecasting has shown that people tend to be accepting of aleatory uncertainty when projecting into the future [1–3], but there is no consensus on which formats best help communicate the uncertainties appropriately. Good communication of uncertainty gives the audience a sense of what experts think the chances are of a range of dif...

Published March 10, 2024, by S. Dryhurst, A. Freeman

Research Problem

How does communicating uncertainty affect people’s reaction to future projections of the effects of COVID-19 and their accuracy?

Communicating uncertainties around future projections

Published March 9, 2024, by A. Freeman, S. Dryhurst

Method

Interviews with research infrastructure managers on their perceptions of Octopus

Interviews with research infrastructure managers at various institutions, to understand if and how Octopus may fit into their offering for researchers.

Published December 24, 2023, by P. Hsing, J. Thompson, A. Freeman

Applications / Implications

The real world applications of findings about the current research culture

This research suggests that open research publication platforms such as Octopus could be an important mechanism for achieving various reforms, but need to be supported by those who carry out assessments for funding or for career advancement. For example: Outreach and education about Octopus (and other similar platforms) would alleviate a substantial barrier to shar...

Published October 31, 2023, by P. Hsing, A. Freeman, T. Fellows, M. Munafo, J. Thompson

Interpretation

Interpretation of survey and interviews: might Octopus help researchers produce high quality, open research?

Interpretation of interviews and survey on research culture.

Published October 27, 2023, by P. Hsing, A. Freeman, M. Munafo, J. Thompson

Method

Survey to help identify whether Octopus might help researchers produce high quality, open research

Survey to assess researchers' perception of the current research culture and barriers to open, high quality research

Published October 26, 2023, by P. Hsing, A. Freeman, J. Thompson

Rationale / Hypothesis

Could Octopus help researchers produce high quality, open research?

The theory of how Octopus aims to help encourage open and high quality research.

Published October 26, 2023, by A. Freeman, P. Hsing, M. Tukanova, J. Thompson, M. Munafo

Research Problem

How can we overcome the barriers to researchers producing high quality, open research?

A summary of the known issues with incentives in scholarly publishing.

Published October 25, 2023, by M. Tukanova, P. Hsing, A. Freeman, T. Fellows, J. Thompson, M. Munafo

Research Problem

How can we help researchers share their work in a way that is most useful for others?

A summary of the known barriers to open research practices in academic research.

Published October 25, 2023, by M. Tukanova, P. Hsing, A. Freeman, T. Fellows, J. Thompson, M. Munafo

Research Problem

How to communicate uncertainty around the R number of COVID-19?

‘R’ is a key figure communicated throughout the pandemic for decision-making, but is always uncertain. How is that uncertainty perceived when communicated?

Published September 4, 2023, by S. Dryhurst, A. Freeman, E. So

Interpretation

Interpretation: what the public already know, want to know and need to know, about their personal risks from COVID-19

This Interpretation is based on work published in: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.201721 The interviews and the survey responses combined help give us an overall view of the public’s information needs regarding their personal COVID-19 risk, as of July 2020.The majority of participants clearly showed a desire for quantitative information about COVID-19 (much of which...

Published May 31, 2023, by A. Freeman, J. Kerr, A. Lawrence, G. Recchia, C. Schneider, S. Dryhurst, L. Finikarides, G. Luoni

Research Problem

Should communicators communicate people’s personal risk from COVID-19 in such a way as to purely inform them of their risk, or to encourage them to take action?

This Problem is based on work published in: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.201721One of the first decisions a communicator needs to make is ‘what is the aim of this communication?’ Communication messages lie on a continuum from a purely persuasive design (e.g. many public health messages) where the desired outcome is behavioural change; to purely informative (e.g. in...

Published May 11, 2023, by A. Freeman

Method

Method for online surveys to find out what the public already know, want to know and need to know, about their personal risks from COVID-19

This Method is based on work published in: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.201721 A combination of in depth qualitative interviews and large-scale quantitative surveys are ideal for gaining insights into people’s understanding of a topic such as their risk from COVID-19, and their information needs.Quantitative surveys can give broad insights into opinions across a po...

Published July 21, 2022, by A. Freeman, C. Schneider, J. Kerr, G. Recchia, S. Dryhurst

Results / Sources

Results of testing the effects of different numerical formats on people’s perception of their risk of dying from COVID-19

These Results are based on work published in: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.201721The data from this experiment is available in the Open Science Framework repository: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/AUF8H Survey 4.This study was approved by the Psychology Research Ethics Committee at the University of Cambridge (PRE.2020.070).The survey was carried out online, with...

Published July 21, 2022, by A. Freeman, J. Kerr, C. Schneider, G. Recchia, S. Dryhurst

Rationale / Hypothesis

Investigating the effects of the format that numbers are presented in, on people’s perception of the risk of dying from COVID-19

This Hypothesis/Theoretical Rationale is based on work published in: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.201721 Several studies have shown that the format in which numbers are presented, such as percentages (e.g. 0.5%), natural frequencies (e.g. 5 in 1000), and ‘1 in X’ (e.g. 1 in 200), can affect people’s comprehension and perception of the magnitude of that number. For...

Published July 19, 2022, by A. Freeman

Red flags raised by this user

Include resolved flags

Raised on February 10, 2026 for not in octopus format against the following publication:

Interpretation

La Biografía del Material Ernesto León

This monographic book theorize and discuss an interpretation and hermeneutical approach to Houston, Texas stablished Venezuelan Artist Ernesto Leon

Published February 7, 2026, by A. Hernández San juan

Raised on February 10, 2026 for linked to irrelevant publication against the following publication:

Analysis

Another Decollages: Cipriano Martinez

"Another Decollages" is a monographic book theorizing and discussing language and culture in the work of London Stablished Venezuelan Artist Cipriano Martinez

Published February 7, 2026, by A. Hernández San juan

Raised on October 15, 2025 for not in octopus format against the following publication:

Rationale / Hypothesis

Title: Beyond Collision: Revisiting Field Dynamics as the Foundation of Motion, Coherence, and Cosmic Order

Title: Beyond Collision: Revisiting Field Dynamics as the Foundation of Motion, Coherence, and Cosmic OrderAuthor: Paul VR Stanford MSc FRSA Abstract: This paper challenges the dominant Newtonian and collision-based paradigms taught in early science education by exploring field elasticity, viscosity, and potential difference as the primary drivers of motion and str...

Published July 5, 2025, by P. STANFORD

Raised on October 15, 2025 for not in octopus format against the following publication:

Rationale / Hypothesis

The Misinterpreted Anaemia -withdrawn by the author on 21.10.2025

withdrawn by the author on 21.10.2025

Published October 21, 2025, by P. STANFORD

Raised on October 15, 2025 for not in octopus format against the following publication: