Over the last several decades, the role of public participation in policy and decision making has expanded in scope and importance. Public participation is being used increasingly to complement technical expertise and empirical evidence in decision-making processes, both to strengthen the democratic legitimacy of policies and to benefit from a wide range of experiential knowledge. […]
Science-Policy Interface
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]