Humans are currently experiencing an information overload. We are bombarded with information from the moment we start our day; texts from friends, social media updates, and news headlines stream into our consciousness at an unprecedented volume. Of course, this deluge has associated costs and benefits. On the one hand, we are better connected and better […]
Pathways and Models: Recent Literature on Communication of Research Information
A gap in the flow of information often exists between science and policy. This gap commonly occurs in the science-policy interface. Many social processes and components may exist at the interface in order to bridge information flow. Within the interface, a complex meshwork of models (about knowledge transfer, science-policy advice, influence), pathways, and organizations can […]
New EIUI Paper: Environmental NGOs Deploy Information Strategies at the Science-Policy Interface for Marine Conservation
Scientists and policy makers alike are increasingly interested in participatory forms of governance. Recent research has found that when non-state actors are involved in the processes of environmental policy-making an opportunity is presented to strengthen the uptake of information, and improve the credibility, legitimacy and relevance of decisions. Environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) are an important, […]
The Complex Space between Science and Policy
In its most linear form, the science-policy interface exists as a “two-world” model where data and facts are generated by researchers to be taken up and used by decision makers as instruments to aid in finding an optimal policy solution (Adelle et al., 2019; Hoppe, 2005). However, the reality of the science-policy interface is often […]
Information Production and Selection in Development of Effective Policies
In evidence-based decision making, policy creation does not simply mean developing policies that implement recommendations from research. The policy makers must think carefully about the information that they use and whose interests the different policies serve. Some studies may be biased since they favour some interest groups above others. As a result, policies based on […]
Science in Environmental Decision-Making: EIUI at the 2020 US National Council for Science and the Environment Conference
It is not a common occurrence to stand up and chant positive affirmations at an international scientific conference in the hope of addressing today’s climate change crisis. However, this tactic happened multiple times over the course of the National Council on Science and the Environment (NCSE) 2020 conference held in Washington, D.C., 6-9 January 2020. […]
Challenges and Opportunities for Resilience to Climate Change: Highlights from the Gulf of Maine 2050 International Symposium
Climate change—its effects and steps to adapt to change—was the dominant subject at the Gulf of Maine International Symposium held in Portland, Maine on 4-8 November 2019. Organized by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, The Maine Coastal Program (State of Maine), the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment, and the Huntsman Marine […]
“One Ocean, Infinite Connections”: The 2019 Sustainable Oceans Conference
“You have a voice, use your voice to protect the ocean.” This statement was a key message from the opening panel of the annual Sustainable Oceans Conference. Organized by students in the Master of Marine Management program at Dalhousie University, the 2019 conference on 27-28 September featured oral presentations, posters, a public panel, and a […]
Global Access to Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Information: New EIUI Study about the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts
Without any doubt, the oceans, which cover 71% of the globe, are vitally important, environmentally, economically, socially, and culturally. Unfortunately, many indicators emphasize that the health of the oceans is in very serious jeopardy today. To address this pressing global issue, researchers, managers, and decision-makers need access to current, accurate, and reliable information. Evidence-based policies […]
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 […]