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Research is a basic tool in changing the world for the better. Yet huge problems remain, and there is a widespread perception that much more could be gained from the wealth of knowledge held by the research community.
Senior scientists have gone so far as to urge the scientific community to forge a 'new social contract' in order to ensure that science makes more effective contributions to solving the big problems of the 21st Century (Lubchenco 1998; Daily and Walker 2000).
This review highlights the main issues in the relationship between research and decision-making. It is based on a report by the author for the European Environment Agency, which made recommendations for implementing the Agency's new responsibility to disseminate the results of environmental research. By analysing a range of studies from around the world, it sheds light on the conditions that allow researchers to contribute most effectively to decision-making.
The issues can be stripped down to three significant factors:
Some conclusions are then drawn, including a brief discussion of the incentives for researchers to pursue the goal of interaction with decision-makers.
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