Bees, lies and evidence-based policy

Evidence based policy or policy based evidence?

Relationship between evidence and policy: a case of evidence-based policy or policy-based evidence?

The use (or non-use) of evidence in health policy is an issue of growing interest and concern among both academic researchers and policy makers. Most public health research is government funded, yet the extent to which its findings are used to shape and inform policy is variable in the extreme. Part of the problem lies in the nature of the evidence itself and the extent to which it addresses th...

role of ideas and ideologies in evidence-based health policy

policy making in health is largely thought to be driven by three ‘i's namely ideas, interests and institutions. recent years have seen a shift in approach with increasing reliance being placed on role of evidence for policy making. the present arti­cle ascertains the role of ideas and ideologies in shaping evidence which is used to aid in policy decisions. the article dis­cusses different theor...

From Evidence - Based Policy - Making to Policy

The paper aims at addressing the problem of what makes specific aiding to decide within public policy making problem situations. Under such a perspective it analyses some basic concepts such as “public policy”, “deliberation”, “legitimation”, “accountability” and shows the necessity to expand the concept of rationality which is expected to be behind the acceptability of a public policy. We then...

Evidence-based policy or policy-based evidence gathering? Biofuels, the EU and the 10% target

The 2009 Renewable Energy Directive mandates European Union member-states’ road transport fuel to comprise a minimum of 10% renewable content by 2020. This target is expected to be met predominantly from biofuels. However, scientific evidence is increasingly questioning the ability of biofuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions when factors such as indirect land-use change are taken into consid...