The group discussed policy ideas that might champion evidence-based research. Whether or not to widen the question to include concepts of trust was tackled early on: “is the problem credibility?”. I was felt that the issue of “experts” was crucial:
“In religion and politics we have experts, in science we have evidence-based process. You have to defend the process of doubt.”
The team split into two and brainstormed policy ideas and discussed how they could be focussed, and the timeframe that they would take to implement. Some of the discussed ideas were:
- Should money be given to Universities to communicate to the layman?
- Can the EU include Science Communication as a positive element for career progression at University level.
- Should there be Financing training for teachers in research/evidence-based process.
- Could common standards in science communication, even ‘accreditation” be developed?
- Could there be media regulation to set a required amount of scientific programming (like religious programming in the UK, or music nationality in Portugal)?
- Or could finance be put to programming that has to be made by scientists, science communicators and programmers?
- Could you make it illegal to have museums say anything that wasn’t based on evidence-based research?
- Can there be a European standard of peer review?
- Is a voluntary code on research reporting possible?
All of the ideas were uploaded them to this online spreadsheet:
Pingback: Policy recommendations for promoting evidence based research | CASC