In 2015, the member countries of the United Nations adopted Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Since then, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have served as an “urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership” (The 17 Goals). These goals “recognize that ending […]
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Indigenous Data Sovereignty and the Importance of Accurate Data
When making decisions on behalf of communities, governments should rely on accurate data (Walter et al., 2021). However, that data may not reflect the realities of communities when they have little say in how the data are collected or used. The importance of this issue arises in discussion of Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDS). IDS refers […]
Health and Medicine: “Following the Science” – Different Directions Lead to Different Outcomes
The statement “follow the science” is much more complicated than it first appears when it is applied to drafting and implementing policy decisions in health fields. In health science and policy, the stakes are high, as lives can hang in the balance. Health scientists and policy makers face many challenges in ensuring the best possible […]
Bridging the Gap Between Research and Policy Making: Advocacy and Brokerage at the Science-Policy Interface
It has long been recognized that research information does not always translate directly into policy (Gluckman, et al., 2021). Linking research and policy making is an essential step in ensuring effective, evidence-informed policy outcomes. One of the ways this can be achieved is by encouraging stakeholders who are involved in the process of knowledge generation […]
The Relationship between Science Literacy and Information Media
The concept of science literacy is traditionally framed as a knowledge-deficit model. This model theorizes that the reason science is not trusted for decision-making is because people have not received enough information or they do not understand how science works. The model assumes that if people were more informed about science, they would more likely […]
Strengthening Coastal Resilience and Relationships: Reflections on the 2025 Coastal Zone Canada Conference
Canada is a country defined by its coasts. Spanning over 243,000 kilometers along the Atlantic, Arctic, and Pacific oceans, the country’s coastline is the longest in the world. Coastal areas have been crucial to marine and human life for millennia. However, in recent decades, these areas have experienced extensive environmental and human pressures that place […]
Weaving Ways of Knowing in Evidence-Based Policy and Decision-Making
Inclusion of diverse knowledge systems at science-policy interfaces is crucial for effective evidence-based policy and decision-making, especially on substantive matters such as environmental management, sustainability, and climate change. In this post, we explore the concept of weaving ways of knowing to highlight the importance of combining different forms of knowledge—western science, Indigenous, local, and experiential—to […]
The Role of Media in Promoting Awareness and Use of Research-Based Information
When scientists communicate their findings to broader audiences, the medium they use can have a substantial impact on how the information is absorbed and used. In recent years, attention has shifted in science communication from a focus on traditional media sources, such as news broadcasts and journal articles, to social media. The ubiquity of social […]
Measuring the Use and Influence of Research-Based Information
Effective use of research-based information is critical for informed decision- and policy-making. However, assessing the use and influence of such information can pose significant challenges due to the complex interactions between scientific knowledge, policy processes, and stakeholder interests (Bogenschneider et al., 2021; Englund et al., 2022; Soomai et al., 2016). In this blog post, we […]
Improving Use of Research-Based Information in Policy
The concept of evidence-based policymaking has gained significant traction in recent years. As societies grapple with increasingly complex challenges, from global pandemics to climate change, calls for policies that are grounded in scientifically-sound evidence have grown louder. However, the practical realization of this ideal remains somewhat elusive (Wardman, 2022). As a result, significant research efforts […]