Article type
Abstract
Background
In most disciplines, scientific evidence is presented in a way to be easily recognizable by members of the same field, thus often making it inaccessible to ‘outsiders’. Furthermore, when considering policy making, the quality of evidence communication will undoubtedly affect accessibility, comprehension and uptake. Timely access to scientific evidence and policy recommendations of verified good quality is key. A standardized approach for assessing quality is needed.
Objectives
We propose a novel risk of bias (RoB) tool named Evidence Communication Rules for Policy (ECR-P) RoB tool which provides a framework for addressing the quality of any type of scientific study that offers policy recommendations.
Methods
The quality of evidence communication is examined using the five rules for evidence communication that were recently developed by the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication. This approach suggests that when scientists communicate evidence they should: inform not persuade; offer balance, but not false balance; disclose uncertainties; state evidence quality, and; inoculate against misinformation. The structure of the ECR-P RoB tool builds on the well-established tools in the medical sciences.
Results
The tool was piloted in a systematic review of evidence communication for policy makers in fields of energy and transport research towards net zero targets and climate change mitigation. ECR-P consists of five domains laid out according to the “5 rules for evidence communication”. Each domain has a set of signalling questions targeting specific areas of evidence communication either in the main body of the paper or the policy recommendations section. Response and judgment options are set out clearly and must be justified from the study.
Conclusions
The tool is readily available and easily accessible to any person (researcher or not) tasked to synthesise evidence for policy making in any scientific field. It provides a standardised and transparent approach in assessing the quality of evidence communication used in formulating policy recommendations as well as the quality of the policy recommendations themselves. ECR-P can also be used as a roadmap for prospective research on how high-quality communication of policy recommendations may be achieved.
In most disciplines, scientific evidence is presented in a way to be easily recognizable by members of the same field, thus often making it inaccessible to ‘outsiders’. Furthermore, when considering policy making, the quality of evidence communication will undoubtedly affect accessibility, comprehension and uptake. Timely access to scientific evidence and policy recommendations of verified good quality is key. A standardized approach for assessing quality is needed.
Objectives
We propose a novel risk of bias (RoB) tool named Evidence Communication Rules for Policy (ECR-P) RoB tool which provides a framework for addressing the quality of any type of scientific study that offers policy recommendations.
Methods
The quality of evidence communication is examined using the five rules for evidence communication that were recently developed by the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication. This approach suggests that when scientists communicate evidence they should: inform not persuade; offer balance, but not false balance; disclose uncertainties; state evidence quality, and; inoculate against misinformation. The structure of the ECR-P RoB tool builds on the well-established tools in the medical sciences.
Results
The tool was piloted in a systematic review of evidence communication for policy makers in fields of energy and transport research towards net zero targets and climate change mitigation. ECR-P consists of five domains laid out according to the “5 rules for evidence communication”. Each domain has a set of signalling questions targeting specific areas of evidence communication either in the main body of the paper or the policy recommendations section. Response and judgment options are set out clearly and must be justified from the study.
Conclusions
The tool is readily available and easily accessible to any person (researcher or not) tasked to synthesise evidence for policy making in any scientific field. It provides a standardised and transparent approach in assessing the quality of evidence communication used in formulating policy recommendations as well as the quality of the policy recommendations themselves. ECR-P can also be used as a roadmap for prospective research on how high-quality communication of policy recommendations may be achieved.