Communicating Science for Policy

With this comprehensive guide, researchers can learn to engage decision-makers in and outside of government, so that their work may have the greatest societal and policy impact.

The book opens by introducing science communication for policy as a field, and sets out a strategic framework of goals, objectives, and tactics used throughout. The first section then shows researchers how to define a policy problem and map who shapes it, judge where an issue sits in the policy process, choose which role to play, and navigate their ethical and legal responsibilities. The second section turns to communicating research evidence. It covers how to convey quality and uncertainty honestly, and how decision-makers make sense of evidence when their attention is stretched thin. It also shows how to build trust and policy networks through informal conversation, and how to craft formal products such as policy memos and one-pagers. The last section maps the research-policy ecosystem. It examines the legislative, executive, and judicial branches at national, regional, local, and Indigenous levels of governance. It also covers the advisory bodies and supporting organizations that link research to decision-making, and participatory approaches for engaging publics and communities.

Written by an international team of authors, the book draws on case studies from around the world. Every chapter opens with learning outcomes and key terms, and closes with a summary of key points and practical exercises. It is designed for use in academic classrooms and professional development workshops, or as a personal guide for individual researchers seeking to engage with decision-makers. It will be of interest to students and scholars of Science Policy and Science Communication.

Online resources, including PowerPoint slides, are available at www.routledge.com/9781041069331. A free companion workbook, with templates for the chapter exercises, is available at www.communicatingscienceforpolicy.org.

The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.