Informed choices: involving researchers in science policy decisions

Now that the government has decided to make drastic cuts to the budget for science and scholarship, it is important to work on improving the science system as a whole. Effective decision-making on science policy is beneficial for everyone, and that is why The Young Academy is in favour of a method that improves the decision-making process. Academics usually help shape policy by participating in focus groups and surveys. But it is quite a challenge to assemble a representative focus group or draft a survey questionnaire in which respondents make truly informed choices. The Young Academy advocates using consultation methods, such as participatory value evaluation (PVE), to capture the widest possible range of inputs and to make well-informed decisions on complex science policy issues.