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Bridging the gap between science and policy: the importance of mutual respect, trust and the role of mediators

Bultitude, K; Rodari, P; Weitkamp, E; (2012) Bridging the gap between science and policy: the importance of mutual respect, trust and the role of mediators. Online Journal of Science Communication , 11 (3) , Article C01. Green open access

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Abstract

Around the world there are widespread efforts to ensure that policy decisions are based upon a sound evidence base, and in particular to facilitate closer integration between the research and policy communities. This commentary provides an overview of the current situation in different parts of the world relating to the opportunities that exist for policy makers to assimilate scientific findings, as well as the existing barriers perceived by both the policy and research communities. Mutual trust and respect between the relevant parties emerge as crucial factors in successful collaboration. Skilled mediators are also considered essential to ensuring effective communication; this may be via third parties such as NGOs, or news services and online portals to convey, ‘translate’ and place in a policy context the scientific findings. Mechanisms for improving researchers’ communication skills as well as increasing their awareness of the need to communicate proactively with the policy community are also considered in order to inform future practice in this area.

Type: Article
Title: Bridging the gap between science and policy: the importance of mutual respect, trust and the role of mediators
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Publisher version: http://jcom.sissa.it/archive/11/03/Jcom1103%282012...
Language: English
Additional information: This work is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivativeWorks 3.0 license. You are free to share (copy, distribute and transmit the work), but you must attribute the author, you may not use this work for commercial purposes and you may not alter, transform, or build upon this work and distribute any derivative works you create under a similar license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Science and Technology Studies
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1381056
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