Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A More Social Science: Barriers And Incentives For Scientists Engaging In Policy, Gerald G. Singh, Jordan Tam, Thomas D. Sisk, Sarah Klain, Megan E. Mach, Rebecca G. Martone, Kai M. A. Chan

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Scientists are increasingly called upon to engage in policy formulation, but the literature on engagement is strong on speculation and weak on evidence. Using a survey administered at several broadly “ecological” conferences, we investigated: (1) the extent to which respondents engage in policy‐related activities (including reporting scientific results, interpreting science for policy makers, integrating science into decision making, taking a position on a policy issue, and acting as a decision maker); (2) what factors best explain these types of engagement; and (3) whether respondents' activity levels match their stated beliefs on such activities. Different factors explain different forms of participation. …