The ocean is vast, occupying about 71 percent of the Earth’s surface and holding 97 percent of its water. These dimensions alone highlight how the ocean dominants Earth. However, size is only one of many factors that position the ocean in critically important roles for the well-being of the planet. Food sources, transportation and communication […]
Current Literature
Benefits and Misuse of Research Impact Indicators: Three New Books on Metrics
Does research output have any impact? Do the investments in personnel and other research resources actually advance understanding and contribute to societal and environmental well-being? These questions have captivated the minds of researchers, funders, and policy makers for decades. While some quantifiable indicators, such as citations, have been widely adopted, debates about the merits and […]
Improving the Use of Climate Change Information in Mitigation and Adaptation Decision-Making: A Book Review
Why are policy measures for climate change mitigation and adaptation being implemented at such a slow pace, especially when significant efforts are being made to generate climate change information? Communicating Climate Change Information for Decision-Making strives to answer this very important question. In their introduction, editors Silvia Serrao-Neumann, Senior Lecturer at the University of Waikato, New Zealand, […]
Current Literature: Science Policy and the US Presidential Election
“Current Literature” is a recurring feature highlighting recent publications of interest on the science-policy interface. With the US Presidential Election just a week away, science policy is not at the top of the mainstream media’s agenda. Over the course of three presidential debates and one vice-presidential debate, moderators asked a grand total of zero questions […]
Current Literature: Utilisation of Information by Practitioners in the Fishing Industry
“Current Literature” is a recurring feature highlighting recent publications of interest on the science-policy interface. Much scholarship investigating the use of scientific information in the management of marine ecosystems has naturally focused on direct use by policy- and decision-makers. However, the range of stakeholders with an interest and a role to play in […]
Current Literature: The Conflict Between Journalistic Balance and Scientific Credibility in Science Reporting
“Current Literature” is a recurring feature highlighting recent publications of interest on the science-policy interface. Journalists face many challenges when trying to communicate scientific issues to the public, but perhaps the greatest is the need to adhere to standards of journalistic objectivity when reporting on fields of scientific inquiry where fringe viewpoints persist […]