USDA policymakers in an unrelated debate. FLICKR, USDA
A group of 47 researchers, overwhelmingly from UK-based institutions, have laid out a list of 40 “key unanswered questions” in science policy, published on March 9 in PLoS One.
By “identifying key unanswered questions on the relationship between science and policy,” the researchers hope to help “improve the mutual understanding and effectiveness of those who work at the interface of science and policy,” they wrote in the paper.
At a workshop in Cambridge, the group members were asked to submit their top questions—totaling 239—which were then whittled down to a list of 40, and divided into six categories. The questions are abstract, considering the relationship between science and policy, rather than asking straightforward questions about particular scientific questions or fields.
“We don’t claim it’s definitive. ...
