The 2016 Coastal Zone Canada conference, organized by the Coastal Zone Canada Association, was held on 12-16 June 2016 at the University of Toronto’s Chestnut Convention Centre in Toronto. This biennial conference provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and information related to coastal zone management in Canada and globally. Representatives from universities […]
EIUI Launches Important New Book
The EIUI research team launched the new volume, Science, Information, and Policy Interface for Effective Coastal and Ocean Management, on 6 June 2016 at Dalhousie University. Edited by Bertrum H. MacDonald, Suzuette S. Soomai, Elizabeth M. De Santo, and Peter G. Wells, this timely volume was published by CRC Press (division of Taylor & Francis). […]
Upcoming Speaking Engagements by EIUI Team Members
During June and July, members of the Environmental Information: Use and Influence (EIUI) research team will present the results of research projects and initiatives at several meetings and conferences in Canada and Europe. 3 -16 June 2016. Dr. Suzuette Soomai will report on key findings from her doctoral research at the annual meeting of the […]
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 […]
Improving Use of Research-Based Information in Policy Contexts
Today, governments are expected to promote the use of research in practice settings. Evidence-based practice is viewed as the goal of public services in many developed nations (Nutley, Walter & Davies, 2007). In addition, governments also give attention to use of research-based information in their policy making processes. Developed nations have employed a range of […]
Measuring the Use and Influence of Research-Based Information
Measuring the use of research-based information is a difficult task, as perhaps best summed up by Nutley, Walter and Davies: “we are unlikely any time soon to see . . . comprehensive evidence neatly linking research, research use, and research impacts” (2007, p. 271). Despite the challenge, it is important to try, for at least […]
The Research-Policy Interface: Models, Frames, and Affecting Factors
To ensure an optimal evidence-based decision making process, it is essential to have an understanding of the research-policy interface and to be able to measure the effectiveness of the use and influence of research on policy. Different models for conceptualizing the research-policy interface have emerged over the past several decades and have, increasingly, accepted the […]
Reshaping Policy Development: Public Consultation and Advisory Processes
The function of public consultation and advisory processes in the development of public policy is complex and evolving. Some recent literature on this subject offers insights about the numerous roles that these processes can play in informing and developing policies and other governance practices, both at a global level and within a democratically governed state […]
EIUI Team Member Presents Paper at the International Studies Association (ISA) Conference in Atlanta, GA
EIUI team member Elizabeth De Santo (Department of Earth and Environment, Franklin & Marshall College) presented a paper at the International Studies Association (ISA) conference in Atlanta, GA on March 17th. Entitled “Militarized Marine Protected Areas: synergizing security and conservation objectives?”, Dr. De Santo’s paper was part of a panel she chaired on “Securing Marine […]
Managing the Communication of Research Information for Policy: Institutional Dynamics and the Social Component
Effective communication is a popular phrase within many institutions. At a basic level, communication involves purposeful exchange of information among parties. Failure to successfully transfer knowledge within this transaction can result in misunderstanding, misuse of time, and inappropriate or lack of action. Within a governmental context, this situation could result in wasted resources, ineffective policy, […]