News Media and Public Policy Decisions: What Can Public Discourse Tell Us about Community Views on Open Net-Pen Salmon Aquaculture in Nova Scotia?

  The news media can be very influential in decision-making processes. Traditional news media are widely used sources for information consumption and they have the means and reach to inform and shape public opinion. Although the news media are often open to political, social, and cultural biases and might not paint the entire picture on […]

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New EIUI Paper: Using Interpersonal Communication Strategies to Encourage Science Conversations on Social Media

The internet has become our main information source, particularly noticeable during the pandemic. Currently, over half of the global population is online, with billions also using social media. We now have access to an enormous volume of information, but its quality ranges from helpful to harmful, especially on important scientific and political topics.   An […]

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50 Years On: The 1970 SS Arrow Oil Spill in Nova Scotia’s Coastal Waters – Science and Decision Making in an Environmental Emergency

On 4 February 1970, the oil tanker SS Arrow ran aground on the rocks of Chedabucto Bay on Nova Scotia’s east coast and four days later about two thirds of the 14,700 ton cargo of Bunker C oil spilled into the Bay. Recently, I collaborated with two Department of Fisheries and Oceans-Bedford Institute of Oceanography […]

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Evidence-Informed Decision Making: A Timely Graduate Course

The scheduling of the graduate course, “Information in Public Policy and Decision Making,” offered by the Dalhousie University School of Information Management could hardly be more timely or important. Troubling as the COVID-19 pandemic has been, as the virus infiltrated countries and caused havoc around the globe, it presented an exceptional case for students to […]

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Improving Use of Research-Based Information in Policy Contexts

The importance of evidence-informed decision-making is being recognized more and more within the broader scientific and political landscape. For critical issues like climate change, well-informed and structured policies can bring substantial progress to current and future mitigation and adaptation strategies. This awareness has resulted in increased efforts to design science-policy engagement strategies and best practices […]

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Challenges in Measuring the Use and Influence of Research-Based Information

Conducting research and producing reports are important pursuits, but they are only some of the activities found in research-to-policy processes. When data have been collected, analysed, and reports prepared, the next step, namely, communication, can be fraught with challenges that can impede use of the research. Some studies are conducted to address questions posed directly […]

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Enablers and Barriers in the Communication of Research Information for Policy Development

The development of meaningful policies is dependent on effective communication of research-based information and evidence from scientists and other researchers to policymakers. Poor communication of research-based information can have serious consequences for environmental management. This post explores factors that enable and prevent the communication of research-based information into public policy contexts, including language, accessibility of […]

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