A recent YouGov online survey commissioned by award-winning children’s publisher, David Fickling Books to coincide with International Fact-Checking Day, revealed that 73% of parents of children aged between 7-18 trust published books to provide the most accurate, age-appropriate information for their children when doing homework or project work.

Books are the most trusted research tool, compared with Wikipedia (34%), newspapers & magazines (26%), social media (19%) or AI chatbots (7%). Older parents trusted the information in books more with 60% of parents aged 18 – 34, rising to 75% for parents aged 35+.

While 55% of parents of children aged 7-18 reported that their children are using published books for research, 64% say their children are using online sources like social media, Wikipedia and AI, which could potentially provide inaccurate information. Only 7% surveyed trusted AI chatbots like ChatGPT to supply age-appropriate, accurate information for their children when doing homework but 10% of parents surveyed say their children are using it for research. There is a notable age divide, with 18% of parents aged 18 – 34 saying they trust AI, compared to only 5% of parents aged 35+.

According to the online research of 704 parents of children aged 7-18, almost half of children (48%) use social media platforms like YouTube for research, with 38% using Wikipedia. Among parents who answered other, a notable portion mentioned Google as a source their children are using.

34% of parents said they trust Wikipedia, despite its user-generated editing model allowing anyone to add information. The online encyclopedia does not guarantee the validity of its information.

The survey was commissioned by independent publisher David Fickling Books to mark International Fact-Checking Day and highlight the importance of accurate and engaging non-fiction publishing for children in the age of AI and unchecked sources.

Their Explodapedia series for young readers, launched in 2023, written by neuroscientist and science writer Dr Ben Martynoga and illustrated by Moose Allain, provides information parents and children can trust with an approach that ‘explodes’ complicated scientific topics out into an easily understandable format. Every Explodapedia book is fact-checked by an independent scientific expert. Titles in the series include Evolution, The Cell , The Gene,and the latest addition Rewild, a celebration of nature and protecting our environment.

Dr Ben Martynoga, author of Explodapedia, says,
“These results back up what I've long suspected: amid today's churning oceans of online information, trustworthy, up-to-date non-fiction books are more essential than ever. It's unsurprising that more children are turning to online sources rather than reference books, despite the overwhelming majority of parents placing higher trust in books. The challenge is creating books that are genuinely engrossing. With the Explodapedia series, that's exactly what I aim to do - sparking curiosity in young minds by fusing rock-solid scientific insights with gripping narratives and vivid illustrations that bring biology to life. I'm also relieved the survey shows children and adults alike still trust authors like myself much more than AI chatbots!”

Anthony Hinton, Commissioning Editor at DFB says,
"DFB publishes Explodapedia to provide readers with not only fabulously entertaining, funny and accessible deep-dives into fascinating scientific subjects, but also a new, trustworthy source of verified, expert-approved scientific information. This survey shows just how important this objective is - not only for child readers, but for parents as well.

"We live in an age of information overload, and finding sources of factual information we can fully trust is increasingly challenging. While it is gratifying to see that most parent and child readers - like ourselves - see responsibly made printed books as more trustworthy sources than the melange of information found online, as publishers we take seriously our duty to make sure that the information we communicate through Explodapedia proves that this trust is wellearned, and to demonstrate in words and pictures how cutting-edge science is mind-blowing, exciting, and true."

Find all the books in Ben Martynoga's outstanding new non-fiction series below - each one is brilliantly readable and fascinatingly informative.