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 […]
Public Policy & Decision-Making
“Tides of Change” – The ACCESS-Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership Conference, 4-7 June 2024
With the highest tides in the world as a backdrop, the joint Atlantic Canada Coastal and Estuarine Science Society (ACCESS) and the Bay of Fund Ecosystem Partnership (BoFEP) biennial conference was aptly headlined “Tides of Change: Accelerating Conservation and Protection Efforts in Atlantic Canada’s Estuarine and Coastal Waters.” While the macro tides alone are a […]
Public Engagement in Environmental Assessments: Recent Conference Paper by EIUI Team Member
At the 42nd AMOP technical seminar on environmental contamination and response, hosted by Environment and Climate Change Canada in Halifax, on 4-6 June 2019, Ian Stewart presented a paper in the session on “Social Aspects Oil Spill Response Planning.” The first AMOP technical seminar, held in Edmonton in 1978, launched the former Arctic and Marine […]
Measuring Use and Influence of Research-Based Information
New and diverse research results are produced daily. However, once research-based information is made available to users, how do we know whether the information is relevant and helpful? Has the information been used in its intended form, or has it been misinterpreted? As these questions relate to connections and disconnections in the science-policy interface, we […]
The Role of Traditional News Media and Social Media in Promoting Awareness of Research-Based Information
The news media is a powerful agent that translates information across the science-policy interface to inform the general public of decisions made by policy-makers. However, news coverage is all too often shaped by political or cultural biases and the realities of the news business. These realities include journalistic norms and preferences that lead to news […]
Challenges and Benefits of Public Consultations as Advisory Processes
Stakeholder engagement in evidence-based policy and decision making is an important multifaceted advisory process, which is characterized by several challenges relating to information management. In complex areas such as public health or the environment, effective decision-making involves commitment from policymakers to understand the subject in question holistically as well as be aware that policies affect […]
Making Science Communication Personal: New EIUI Study Investigates Strategies for Encouraging Conversations between the Public and Scientists through Social Media
In this post, Curtis Martin, an EIUI team member, reports on his Master of Marine Management research about the strategies that individual scientists and marine non-governmental organization communicators use to engage the public in conversations about scientific subjects. The internet and social media have dramatically changed the way we communicate with one another today. More […]
Bill C-69—Highlights of the Proposed New Impact Assessment Act: Public Lecture, 4 February 2019
Bill C-69 (currently before Canada’s Senate) has been much in the news, generating both strong support and strong opposition from different sectors of Canadian society. EIUI is co-sponsoring this public lecture, which will provide an overview of main elements of the Act, including its features such as early planning, sustainability criteria; broadened scope for positive […]
Deep Ties: New EIUI Study Investigates the Connection between People and Marine Environments in Ocean Planning and Policy
A new Environmental Information: Use and Influence study suggests that social values tied to the ocean are under-represented in the valuation of marine ecosystems, and proposes a public perceptions frame work to gauge place-based attachments in coastal planning and policy decision processes. Simon Ryder-Burbidge, an EIUI team member and a recent graduate of the Master […]
Science in Public life – Panel Sessions, 9 & 11 October 2018
The Environmental Information: Use and Influence (EIUI) research program is very pleased to announce that two public panel sessions on the subject of Science in Public Life will be presented on 9 and 11 October 2018 in Halifax. EIUI is hosting these panels, along with co-sponsors, to address key questions about the role of information […]