We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
A collaboratively derived international research agenda on legislative science advice
Summary
Researchers from dozens of countries collaboratively ranked the most urgent unanswered questions about how scientific evidence reaches and influences legislators, finding major knowledge gaps — especially for developing nations — about when and why policymakers actually use science. The project identifies environment and health as the top priority domains where better science-policy communication is most needed.
Abstract The quantity and complexity of scientific and technological information provided to policymakers have been on the rise for decades. Yet little is known about how to provide science advice to legislatures, even though scientific information is widely acknowledged as valuable for decision-making in many policy domains. We asked academics, science advisers, and policymakers from both developed and developing nations to identify, review and refine, and then rank the most pressing research questions on legislative science advice (LSA). Experts generally agree that the state of evidence is poor, especially regarding developing and lower-middle income countries. Many fundamental questions about science advice processes remain unanswered and are of great interest: whether legislative use of scientific evidence improves the implementation and outcome of social programs and policies; under what conditions legislators and staff seek out scientific information or use what is presented to them; and how different communication channels affect informational trust and use. Environment and health are the highest priority policy domains for the field. The context-specific nature of many of the submitted questions—whether to policy issues, institutions, or locations—suggests one of the significant challenges is aggregating generalizable evidence on LSA practices. Understanding these research needs represents a first step in advancing a global agenda for LSA research.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Use of scientific evidence to inform environmental health policies and governance strategies at the local level
Researchers examined how scientific evidence informs environmental health policies at the local governance level, finding gaps between available research on emerging contaminants like microplastics and their translation into effective regulatory strategies.
Human health evidence in the global treaty to end plastic pollution: a survey of policy perspectives
Researchers surveyed United Nations delegates involved in developing the Global Plastics Treaty to understand how human health evidence is being considered in policy decisions. They found that most delegates support health-based measures and see scientific evidence as essential, but face challenges translating research into actionable policy. The study underscores the importance of making health research accessible and relevant to policymakers working on international plastic pollution agreements.
Scientists' perspectives on global ocean research priorities
An international survey of ocean scientists identified global research priorities for understanding and managing ocean health, with plastic pollution emerging as one of the top concerns alongside climate change and biodiversity loss. The results reflect the scientific community's assessment of where investment is most urgently needed to sustain healthy ocean ecosystems.
Implementation of a structured decision-making framework to evaluate and advance understanding of airborne microplastics
Researchers used a participatory Structured Decision-Making approach with stakeholders from multiple sectors to define shared objectives and research priorities for airborne microplastics. The process identified human health impacts and the need for interdisciplinary, integrated research approaches as the most urgent priorities in this emerging area.
Transdisciplinary research: if it's so important, why aren't we all doing it?
This Dutch paper advocates for transdisciplinary research as an essential approach for tackling complex environmental challenges, describing practical steps for collaboration between academic and applied researchers.