Enhancing Evidence Communication for Policymaking
The Problem
COMMUNICATION GAP BETWEEN SCIENCE AND POLICY
There are major barriers to knowledge exchange between scientists, policymakers, and industry. Even where robust scientific evidence exists, it is often communicated in ways that are complex or not actionable for decision-makers. As a result, new scientific evidence and innovations frequently fail to be adopted in practice, limiting both their scientific impact and their contribution to policy goals.
With scientific research increasingly informing policy, a standardised critical appraisal tool is needed to assess both the quality of policy recommendations and the strength of their evidence base. This ensures reliable, evidence-driven policymaking.
EVIDENCE COMMUNICATION
Effective communication of scientific evidence is crucial for shaping policies on climate change and achieving net zero. As new research emerges, it influences key policy decisions. Ensuring the quality of evidence and addressing gaps in how it is communicated are essential for informed policymaking.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
With scientific research increasingly informing policy, a standardised critical appraisal tool is needed to assess both the quality of policy recommendations and the strength of their evidence base. This ensures reliable, evidence-based policymaking.
The Solution
TRUSTWORTHY COMMUNICATION OF EVIDENCE AND SCIENTIFIC-BASED POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS.
To address this challenge, we have developed ECR-P (Evidence Communication Rules for Policy) – a critical appraisal tool for assessing the quality of scientific policy recommendations and their evidence base.
ECR-P provides a structured way to examine whether policy recommendations are:
– Transparent about the underlying evidence and methods;
– Clear about uncertainty, assumptions and limitations;
– Actionable, relevant and understandable for policymakers.
We have already applied ECR-P to assess the current state of evidence communication in key Net Zero domains, including wind power, hydrogen energy and transportation.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS
Multiple scientific evidence and policy recommendations can be brought together to inform new or existing policies.
TRANSPARENCY
The ECR-P critical appraisal tool offers a transparent way for quality assessment of policy recommendations and their evidence base.
POLICYMAKING
ECR-P can help policymakers assess scientific research outputs and empower them to critically appraise their quality.
RESEARCH
ECR-P can guide researchers to improve the communication of their research findings and help them formulate policy recommendations.
KEY OUTCOMES
OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
Researchers can close the gap between science and policy by putting forward policymaking recommendations based on their research. ECR-P supports this by making good practice in evidence communication explicit and assessable.
ECR-P can be used by policymakers, researchers, peer reviewers, editors and any other stakeholders interested in evidence-based policymaking and high-quality evidence communication.
Dataset
Our systematic review looked at more than 3,000 papers and identified none in the field of engineering that included policy considerations in this space.
Evidence synthesis
Evidence synthesis can be applied at a later stage of policymaking bringing together multiple scientific-based policy recommendations.
Advice
Researchers should put in the same effort in developing policy recommendations as they would in any other aspect of their research.
Communication
Communication quality is much better regarding scientific evidence compared to policy recommendations.
RESEARCH TEAM
Prof. Sir John Aston
Communications for Policymaking
Dr Evangelos Danopolous
Communication for Policymaking