The Palgrave Communications Collection on Scientific Advice to Governments is guest edited by Sir Peter Gluckman (Former-Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of New Zealand & Chair of the International Network for Government Science Advice) and Professor James Wilsdon (Professor of Research Policy, Department of Politics and Director of Impact and Engagement, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Sheffield, UK).
Scientific advice to governments has never been in greater demand; nor has it been more contested. From climate change to cyber-security, poverty to pandemics, food technologies to fracking, the questions being asked of scientists, engineers and other experts by policymakers, the media and the wider public continue to multiply and increase in complexity. At the same time, the authority and legitimacy of experts are under increasing scrutiny, particularly on controversial topics, such as climate change and genetically modified crops.
This thematic collection brings together perspectives on the theory, practice and politics of scientific advice that build on the conclusions of the landmark conference in Auckland in August 2014, which led to the creation of the INGSA. Additional papers will be published over the coming months, including papers from other relevant Palgrave Collections, such as The politics of evidence-based policymaking: maximising the use of evidence in policy, edited by Professor Paul Cairney.
- Trouble in the trough: how uncertainties were downplayed in the UK’s science advice on Covid-19, Warren Pearce, Oct 2020
- Designing inter-regional engagement to inform cohesive policy making. Robin Fears, Claudia Canales Holzeis & Volker ter Meulen – 3rd June 2020
- Tapping into science advisers’ learning. Noam Obermeister – 29th April 2020
- Integrating health into the complex urban planning policy and decision-making context: a systems thinking analysis. Helen Pineo, Nici Zimmermann & Michael Davies
- Creating and communicating social research for policymakers in government. Jessica H. Phoenix, Lucy G. Atkinson & Hannah Baker
- A collaboratively derived international research agenda on legislative science advice. Karen Akerlof, Chris Tyler et al
- The dos and don’ts of influencing policy: a systematic review of advice to academics. Kathryn Oliver & Paul Cairney
- Elements of success in multi-stakeholder deliberation platforms. Jennifer Garard, Larissa Koch & Martin Kowarsch
- The construction of new scientific norms for solving Grant Challenges. Kate Maxwell & Paul Benneworth
- Integrating evidence, politics and society: a methodology for the science-policy interface. Peter Horton & Garrett W. Brown
- From paradox to principles: where next for scientific advice to governments? Peter Gluckman & James Wilsdon
- Legislative science advice in Europe: the case for international comparative research. Caroline Kenny, Carla-Leanne Washbourne, Chris Tyler & Jason J. Blackstock
- How to communicate effectively with policymakers: combine insights from psychology and policy studies. Paul Cairney & Richard Kwiatkowski
- Storytelling and evidence-based policy: lessons from the grey literature. Brett Davidson
- Maximising the availability and use of high-quality evidence for policymaking: collaborative, targeted and efficient evidence reviews. Anna Gavine, Steve MacGillivray, Mary Ross-Davie, Kirstie Campbell, Linda White & Mary Renfrew
- How can we use the ‘science of stories’ to produce persuasive scientific stories? Michael D. Jones &
Deserai Anderson Crow - Three lessons from evidence-based medicine and policy: increase transparency, balance inputs and understand power. Kathryn Oliver & Warren Pearce
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Insights from ‘policy learning’ on how to enhance the use of evidence by policymakers. Antje Witting
- Evolving academic culture to meet societal needs. Kateryna Wowk, Larry McKinney, Frank Muller-Karger, Russell Moll, Susan Avery, Elva Escobar-Briones, David Yoskowitz & Richard McLaughlin
- Rethinking policy ‘impact’: four models of research policy relations. Christina Boswell & Katherine Smith
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How can we demonstrate the public value of evidence-based policy making when government ministers declare that the people ‘have had enough of experts’? Leighton Andrews
- Evaluation of the quality of science, technology and innovation advice available to lawmakers in Nigeria Maruf Sanni, Omolayo Oluwatope, Adedamola Adeyeye & Abiodun Egbetokun
- Scientific assessments to facilitate deliberative policy learning Martin Kowarsch, Jennifer Garard, Pauline Riousset, Dominic Lenzi, Marcel J. Dorsch, Brigitte Knopf, Jan-Albrecht Harrs & Ottmar Edenhofer
- Providing a “challenge function”: Government social researchers in the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (2010–2015) Michael Kattirtzi
- Temporal and spatial dimensions in the management of scientific advice to governments Marc Saner
- Exploring the science–policy interface on climate change: The role of the IPCC in informing local decision-making in the UK Candice Howarth & James Painter
- Reflections on science advisory systems in Canada Remi Quirion, Arthur Carty, Paul Dufour & Ramia Jabr
- The Rothschild report (1971) and the purpose of government-funded R&D—a personal account Miles Parker
- Scientific advice in China: the changing role of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Xiaoxuan Li, Kejia Yang & Xiaoxi Xiao
- Exploring the scope of science advice: social sciences in the UK government Adam CG Cooper
- Scientific advice on the move: the UK mobile phone risk issue as a public experiment Jack Stilgoe
- The evolving role of the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in providing science and technology policy advice to the US government Peter D Blair
- Five years after Fukushima: scientific advice in Japan Yasushi Sato & Tateo Arimoto
- Revealing a paradox in scientific advice to governments: the struggle between modernist and reflexive logics within the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency Eva-Maria Kunseler
- Science, technology and innovation indicators in policy-making: the Nigerian experience Willie Siyanbola, Adedamola Adeyeye, Olawale Olaopa & Omowumi Hassan
- Ensuring science is useful, usable and used in global disaster risk reduction and sustainable development: a view through the Sendai framework lens Amina Aitsi-Selmi, Kevin Blanchard & Virginia Murray