  The in-in effective action formalism is used to derive the semiclassical
correction to Einstein's equations due to a massless scalar quantum field
conformally coupled to small gravitational perturbations in spatially flat
cosmological models. The vacuum expectation value of the stress tensor of the
quantum field is directly derived from the renormalized in-in effective action.
The usual in-out effective action is also discussed and it is used to compute
the probability of particle creation. As one application, the stress tensor of
a scalar field around a static cosmic string is derived and the backreaction
effect on the gravitational field of the string is discussed.
