A more social science: Barriers and incentives for scientists to engage in policy

Background/Question/Methods: Scientists are increasingly called upon to engage in policy, but the literature on engagement is strong on speculation and weak on evidence. Using a survey administered at several broadly ‘ecological’ conferences, we investigate (1) the extent to which respondents engage (including reporting scientific results, interpreting science for policy, integrating science into policy, taking a position on policy, and acting as a decision maker); (2) what factors best explain these types of engagement; and (3) whether respondents’ activity levels match their stated beliefs on types of engagement.

Results/Conclusions: Different factors explain different forms of engagement. Institutional culture and exposure to public scrutiny were identified as barriers to engagement, while self-perceived competence in engagement was consistently important in explaining activity across all engagement types, highlighting the importance of training programs in engagement. Many respondents believed that scientists should interpret, integrate and advocate, which contrasts with relatively low levels of self-reported engagement in policy.