Uncertainty as Information: Narrowing the Science-policy Gap

Narrowing the gap.

Since 1981 AIDS has illuminated, like a roving searchlight, a series of ethical questions, which extend far beyond the apparently narrow limits of one disease. It has revealed, one by one, human attitudes and behaviours that were previously unquestioned, or unobserved based on unidentified but shaky pre-suppositions. This commentary oVers two contrasting perspectives on the problems facing deve...

Narrowing the Nutrition Gap:

Uncertainty in climate science and climate policy

This essay, written by a statistician and a climate scientist, describes our view of the gap that exists between current practice in mainstream climate science, and the practical needs of policymakers charged with exploring possible interventions in the context of climate change. By ‘mainstream’ we mean the type of climate science that dominates in universities and research centres, which we wi...

Health Policy and Management: In Praise of Political Science; Comment on “On Health Policy and Management (HPAM): Mind the Theory-Policy Practice Gap”

Health systems have entered a third era embracing whole systems thinking and posing complex policy and management challenges. Understanding how such systems work and agreeing what needs to be put in place to enable them to undergo effective and sustainable change are more pressing issues than ever for policy-makers. The theory-policy-practice-gap and its four dimensions, as articulated by Chini...

Mutual distrust: understanding and bridging the science to policy gap

Background The production of policy-relevant research is necessary, but not sufficient, to promote its utilization in policy. Decision-makers must believe it has value, and researchers need the desire and skills to translate their work effectively. Our objective was to understand the perspectives of state policymakers and health researchers on the barriers and facilitators to translation of hea...