Scientists have been communicators as long as there has been discoveries about the world and the universe beyond. Today, scientific research can be instrumental for resolving major issues locally and globally. Seeking solutions to these problems is the responsibility of everyone: the public, governments, as well as researchers. Thus, communication about research is essential. But, […]
Scientific Communication
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 […]
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 […]
Emerging Issues, Challenges, and Priorities: The 12th BoFEP Bay of Fundy Science Workshop
Since 1996, the Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership (BoFEP) has organized major scientific workshops approximately every two years. The twelfth, attended by over 100 speakers and participants on 9-12 May 2018 in Truro, Nova Scotia, focused on “A Changing Fundy Environment: Emerging Issues, Challenges, and Priorities.” The workshops bring researchers, managers, policymakers, and community representatives […]
EIUI Research Project: Criteria for Assessing Working Group Approaches for Informing Decision-Making in Public Policy
Many issues continue to cause severe changes to ocean environments and may be classified as “wicked” problems. At the same time, extensive scientific information exists that has the potential to inform management and policy in addressing the issues. However, a challenge persists in translating this information into usable forms for decision makers to make informed […]
EIUI Co-Sponsors Panel on the Concept of Stock Assessment and Fisheries Management Decisions
On 8-9 March 2018, the Environmental Information: Use and Influence research program co-sponsored a visit by Dr. Jennifer Telesca (Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York) to Dalhousie University and the University of King’s College. At the panel, Dr. Telesca led off with a presentation that drew on her paper “Accounting for Loss in Fish Stocks: A […]
A Complicated Web: The Benefits and Challenges of the News and Social Media in Promoting Awareness of Research-Based Information
Massive changes in communication activities due to the rapid rise of social media and transformation in the traditional news media over the past decade have both increased opportunities for researchers to disseminate the results of their studies as well as presented challenges because of the plethora of information channels. Although information can potentially be transmitted […]
Can Research on the Diffusion of Innovations Offer Insights about Enablers and Barriers to Information Use?
The body of literature focused on the enablers and barriers to research use is extensive and insightful. Nutley, Walter, and Davies rightfully categorize the literature as providing “a rich source of theories and evidence that can be mined to inform strategies for promoting research use” (2007, p. 192). Numerous mechanisms such as dissemination, interaction, and […]
Communication of Research Information: Information Pathways and Models
While many policy makers and practitioners heavily rely on information from the scientific community for their decision making, research about activities at the science-policy interface shows that information use is often not straightforward. Despite the large amounts of scientific information available to policy-makers and practitioners, there are still calls for more “useful” information to be […]
The Science-Policy Ecosystem: Managing Variabilities, Complexities, and Trade-offs
It is often believed that scientific information and knowledge travels through a linear pipeline that leads straight from researchers to policy makers to use in decision-making and planning. It isn’t so simple–values, political considerations, and available resources are all part of the policy-making process. Peter Gluckman, the Chief Science Advisor to the New Zealand Prime […]