  Disinformation spreads among the public and in scientific discourse through
the actions of individuals, organizations, and governments that distort
scholarly communications, media narratives, and institutional trust. This
taxonomy introduces a structured framework and specialized set of definitions
to elucidate the key participants, platforms, and strategies employed in the
propagation of disinformation. Enhanced comprehension of the mechanisms and
pathways of scientific disinformation equips journalists and policymakers with
the tools necessary to more effectively recognize and address these issues. The
authors developed this taxonomy of disinformation through a multi-faceted
approach, encompassing a literature review, expert review, and case study
analysis. The literature review revealed a scarcity of taxonomical models
amidst prevalent algorithmic detection studies. Subsequently, an expert review
process refined our taxonomy through collaborative analysis of twenty-two cases
of identified disinformation, categorized by their methods, motives, and
impacts. Finally, we validated and fine-tuned our taxonomy through detailed
case studies of twelve diverse disinformation instances, assessing the
taxonomy's effectiveness in capturing the essential characteristics of each
case and making necessary adjustments to ensure its relevance and accuracy in
real-world applications.
