Research and the collection of data relating to Indigenous peoples, lands, and resources have long served to uphold colonial relations. Much of the data collected about Indigenous peoples has been assembled by government entities without Indigenous input or participation, and as such does not reflect the diverse values, knowledge systems, or governance structures of Indigenous […]
Information Use & Influence
News Media and Policy: Media Literacy and Scientific Literacy Go Hand in Hand
Information media can act as both an amplifier and a dampener to scientific discourse. Social media platforms such as Twitter(X), Instagram, TikTok, and others have all affected the discourse surrounding scientific discoveries. Studies have shown that scientific literacy can help the public be more supportive of important research and can lead to support for evidence-based […]
Investigating a Proposed Marine Protected Area Along Nova Scotia’s Coast through a Co-Production Lens
In 2018, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) designated the Eastern Shore Islands of Nova Scotia as an Area of Interest (AOI) for Atlantic Canada’s largest coastal marine protected area (MPA) (Moreland et al., 2021). The Eastern Shore Islands (ESI) support vital ecosystems including eelgrass, kelp beds, and several at-risk species. While this […]
Advocacy and Political Action at the Information-Policy Interface
In a time when humanity faces existential threats from climate change and ecosystem collapse, the need for transformative change has never been more urgent. Now, more than ever, academics need to move beyond their traditional role as knowledge generators to become knowledge brokers and public activists to facilitate stronger evidence-informed decision making (Gardner et al., […]
Enabling the Uptake of Research in Decision Making
Effective policy and decision-making rely on the integration of scientific evidence into governance frameworks. In this post, we explore the role that research-based information can play in shaping environmental policy. Translating research into actionable knowledge for policymakers faces many challenges due to persistent knowledge-action gaps. Gaps occur when knowledge that is produced is difficult to […]
New Paper: Identifying Ocean-Related Literature Using the UN Second World Ocean Assessment Report
Proclaimed in 2017, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) sparked opportunities to advance ocean-related fields and identify solutions to potential knowledge gaps, especially at the interface of research and governance. In a paper recently published in Ocean & Society, we explored the potential of using the references included in the two-volume […]
Can Schoolchildren Contribute to Research and Policy-making Through Citizen Science?
Science education is an integral part of the curriculum of many schools, yet how science actually works and how new knowledge is produced is rarely covered in their courses. School books and experiments with a pre-determined outcome and defined solution do not reflect the actual work of researchers, which involves trial and error, dealing with […]
Dynamics of Information Flow at the Science-Policy Interface for Endangered Inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic Salmon
Once an aquatic species is added to Canada’s list of endangered flora and fauna under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), does the best available information make its way into decision-making to promote the recovery of the species? Resource management, including the management of endangered species, can be challenging due to the involvement of […]
The Ocean at Science-Policy Interfaces: Books EIUI Team Members Are Reading
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 […]
New Paper: On the Development of Criteria for Determining the Effectiveness of Technical Working Groups
Use of scientific information in evidence-based decision-making is critically important in contending with coastal and ocean management concerns. Evidence can reach policy- and decision-makers through a wide variety of channels, or it may not reach them at all due to a host of hurdles that can encumber information pathways. Furthermore, a myriad of information […]