Scientific opinion in policymaking: the case of climate change adaptation. Javeline, D. & Shufeldt, G. Policy Sciences.
Scientific opinion in policymaking: the case of climate change adaptation [link]Paper  doi  abstract   bibtex   
The urgent need for policy decisions often outpaces scientific discovery. At such times, policymakers must rely on scientific opinion. This is the case with many aspects of current climate policy, especially those involving untested but potentially necessary adaptations to reduce vulnerability to climate change. Unfortunately, scientific opinion is not currently defined, measured, or used in a standardized way, which often allows for the accidental or intentional dissemination of misinformation and the marginalization of science where science could be most beneficial. In this article, we argue that scientific opinion can be usefully measured by systematic surveys of scientists that employ standards similar to those that govern public opinion surveys, including systematic decisions about target populations, sampling frames, and sampling techniques. We demonstrate this approach with the methodology for a study of scientific opinion on a potential adaptation to climate change, the managed relocation of species. We show that survey results may be used to corroborate other types of information, refine or contradict other information, and offer novel insights into emerging issues, such as adaptations to climate change, that are currently not addressed with any other type of available information.
@article{javeline_scientific_????,
	title = {Scientific opinion in policymaking: the case of climate change adaptation},
	issn = {0032-2687, 1573-0891},
	shorttitle = {Scientific opinion in policymaking},
	url = {http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11077-013-9187-9},
	doi = {10.1007/s11077-013-9187-9},
	abstract = {The urgent need for policy decisions often outpaces scientific discovery. At such times, policymakers must rely on scientific opinion. This is the case with many aspects of current climate policy, especially those involving untested but potentially necessary adaptations to reduce vulnerability to climate change. Unfortunately, scientific opinion is not currently defined, measured, or used in a standardized way, which often allows for the accidental or intentional dissemination of misinformation and the marginalization of science where science could be most beneficial. In this article, we argue that scientific opinion can be usefully measured by systematic surveys of scientists that employ standards similar to those that govern public opinion surveys, including systematic decisions about target populations, sampling frames, and sampling techniques. We demonstrate this approach with the methodology for a study of scientific opinion on a potential adaptation to climate change, the managed relocation of species. We show that survey results may be used to corroborate other types of information, refine or contradict other information, and offer novel insights into emerging issues, such as adaptations to climate change, that are currently not addressed with any other type of available information.},
	language = {en},
	urldate = {2013-12-14},
	journal = {Policy Sciences},
	author = {Javeline, Debra and Shufeldt, Gregory},
	keywords = {Adaptation, climate change, Economic Policy, Managed relocation, Political Science, general, Public administration, Science Policy, Scientific opinion},
	pages = {1--19},
	file = {art%3A10.1007%2Fs11077-013-9187-9.pdf:files/49246/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11077-013-9187-9.pdf:application/pdf;Snapshot:files/47842/s11077-013-9187-9.html:text/html;Snapshot:files/49243/s11077-013-9187-9.html:text/html}
}

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