Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Yuya Kajikawa
Summary: This study focuses on the role of bibliometric analysis in evidence-based policymaking and discusses the application of scientometrics in this field. By using hydrogen energy technologies as a case study, four propositions are derived, emphasizing the importance of strict distinction, relevant analysis, multidisciplinary expertise, and a knowledge system in policymaking.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cara Steger, Julia A. Klein, Robin S. Reid, Sandra Lavorel, Catherine Tucker, Kelly A. Hopping, Rob Marchant, Tara Teel, Aida Cuni-Sanchez, Tsechoe Dorjii, Greg Greenwood, Robert Huber, Karim-Aly Kassam, David Kreuer, Anne Nolinn, Aaron Russello, Julia L. Sharp, Mateja Smid Hribar, Jessica P. R. Thorn, Gordon Grants, Mohammed Mahdi, Martha Morenou, Daniel Waiswav
Summary: Flexibility and collaborative spirit are highly valued skills in SWS, and different respondents have differing perspectives on barriers to successful SWS implementation. A toolbox of 20 best practices can be utilized to overcome barriers and enhance the societal and scientific impacts of SWS projects.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hiroyuki Kano, Takehiko I. Hayashi
Summary: The study establishes a framework for scientists and policymakers to handle evidence in policymaking, focusing on five perspectives including methodological rigorousness, consistency, proximity, social appropriateness, and legitimacy. It explores how these perspectives interact through three phases of scientific investigation and political institutionalization, encouraging shifts in perspectives between different institutionalization phases. A case study on mercury pollution demonstrates how the framework serves as a checklist for comprehensive evidence evaluation, providing specific guidance for evidence-based policymaking and implementation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sechindra Vallury, Brian C. Chaffin, Samantha L. Hamlin, Craig R. Allen
Summary: Boundary organizations play a crucial role in environmental governance by facilitating the exchange of knowledge between scientists and decision-makers. However, there is a significant challenge in designing effective information dissemination platforms to bridge the communication gap between experts and non-experts.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Fang Wei, Xiaowen Zhan
Summary: Despite progress in ES science, integration of ES into spatial planning falls short, hindering sustainable spatial planning. Usability of ES science has improved, but evidence base for planning remains incomplete. Lack of research on policymakers' demand for knowledge and their logic of action, while power and politics issues are understudied. Attention to these aspects necessary for greater integration and policy effects in spatial planning.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Silvia Vanino, Tiziana Pirelli, Claudia Di Bene, Frederik Boe, Nadia Castanheira, Claire Chenu, Sophie Cornu, Virginijus Feiza, Dario Fornara, Olivier Heller, Raimonds Kasparinskis, Saskia Keesstra, Maria Valentina Lasorella, Sevinc Madenoglu, Katharina H. E. Meurer, Lilian O'Sullivan, Noemi Peter, Chiara Piccini, Grzegorz Siebielec, Bozena Smreczak, Martin Hvarregaard Thorsoe, Roberta Farina
Summary: Climate-smart sustainable management of agricultural soil is critical for improving soil health, ensuring food and water security, addressing climate change, preserving biodiversity, and promoting human health and well-being. However, there are significant barriers such as technical, political, social, and economic obstacles that hinder the development and utilization of soil research outcomes. To overcome these obstacles, increasing research funding, maintaining long-term experiments, creating knowledge sharing networks and infrastructure, and developing regionally-tailored soil management strategies are essential.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Louisa Jane Di Felice, Ansel Renner, Mario Giampietro
Summary: This article discusses the importance of electric vehicles as a policy solution in the EU, highlighting the uncertainty of the evidence supporting it. Grounded in complexity science, it questions the justification relationship for electric vehicles and examines the material coherence between these justifications and existing evidence.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2021)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Harriet Downey, Vincent Bretagnolle, Cameron Brick, Caroline R. Bulman, Steven J. Cooke, Mike Dean, Bob Edmonds, Winifred F. Frick, Kim Friedman, Catherine McNicol, Christopher Nichols, Saul Herbert, David O'Brien, Nancy Ockendon, Silviu Petrovan, David Stroud, Thomas B. White, Thomas A. Worthington, William J. Sutherland
Summary: Many guidance documents lack relevant and up-to-date evidence, leading to misguided and ineffective conservation practices and a waste of resources.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Alexandra Bell, Doris Klein, Jakob Rieser, Tanja Kraus, Michael Thiel, Stefan Dech
Summary: Political decisions often have unclear impacts and can result in unintended negative consequences. Remote sensing is a powerful tool to provide objective and systematic spatial information for evidence-based decision making. Most studies reviewed focus on problem identification and policy impact assessment. To strengthen the use of remote sensing for policy-relevant studies, the concept of the policy cycle can be used to identify future requirements.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kerry A. Waylen, Kirsty L. Blackstock, Keith B. Matthews, Alba Juarez-Bourke, Alice Hague, Doug Wardell-Johnson, Dave Miller, Zora Kovacic, Thomas Volker, Angela Guimaraes Pereira, Mario Giampietro
Summary: Post-Normal Science (PNS) highlights the need for scientists and policy-makers to co-analyse and learn together. However, the roles and implications for scientific experts when interacting with policy-makers are not well understood. This article reflects on scientific experts' experiences in the interdisciplinary H2020 MAGIC project and suggests the importance of recognizing the plural roles expected of experts and the constraints of science-policy interactions.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2023)
Article
Humanities, Multidisciplinary
Vivian Tseng, Angela Bednarek, Kristy Faccer
Summary: This article examines the decision-making of three funders in their support of relational approaches to improve the usefulness and use of research evidence. The authors provide individual narratives of their funding experiences, discuss their lessons learned, and offer recommendations to the broader funding community.
HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Development Studies
Michele Acuto, Ariana Dickey, Stephanie Butcher, Carla-Leanne Washbourne
Summary: This article discusses the importance of boundary-spanning knowledge institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on the role of urban observatories in supporting sustainable and equitable recovery processes. While urban observatories have the opportunity to play a progressive and effective role during this crisis, they also face challenges such as issues of institutional trust and voice inequality.
Article
Economics
Richard Fischer, Denis B. Karcher
Summary: Recent publications are critical of the impact of forest governance research on halting tropical deforestation. They suggest increased engagement between scientists and decision-makers to enhance research impact. However, current theories of science communication indicate a trade-off between engagement with decision-makers and researchers' independence, which hinders analytical science. Our commentary examines how recent publications address this dilemma and raises the question of whether enhanced impact justifies or necessitates greater engagement. We find that the assumption linking more impact to more direct engagement is predominantly based on essays, comments, or reviews rather than empirical evidence. In a quantitative empirical evaluation using existing data, we demonstrate that increased direct engagement does not necessarily lead to greater impact. We conclude that further empirical research is needed to assess researchers' independence under different modes of engagement, taking into account various policy contexts, levels, and stages of research projects. Standardized measures should be employed to evaluate the success of engagement strategies. In the meantime, we provide recommendations to navigate the engagement-independence dilemma, including raising awareness within the scientific community, specifying researchers' roles clearly and transparently, involving independent scientific reviewers, diversifying funding sources, and considering the power and interests of policymakers as study objects and research partners simultaneously.
FOREST POLICY AND ECONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhanyun Wang, Sam Adu-Kumi, Miriam L. Diamond, Ramon Guardans, Tom Harner, Agustin Harte, Natsuko Kajiwara, Jana Klanova, Jianguo Liu, Estefania Gastaldello Moreira, Derek C. G. Muir, Noriyuki Suzuki, Victorine Pinas, Timo Seppala, Roland Weber, Bo Yuan
Summary: The Stockholm Convention is crucial in addressing global threats posed by persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Although it successfully identifies new POPs, implementing the convention at the national level remains challenging, particularly for low- and middle-income countries. This analysis aims to identify and recommend the research and scientific support necessary for the convention's timely implementation, providing practical guidance and recommendations for sustaining scientific support.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Santi Pratiwi, Nataly Juerges
Summary: The use of digital media platforms has had a significant impact on the science-policy interface, but there is limited research on how these platforms are used to contest science-based policies. In the case of the land-use conflict in the Kamojang Nature Reserve, the grassroots community played an important role in sharing scientific information through social media, thereby influencing the science-policy interface.