scienceinformed

Scienceinformed is an adjective describing decisions, policies, programs, or practices that are guided by scientific knowledge and the best available evidence. The term underscores the use of the scientific method, peer-reviewed research, and systematic evaluation of data, including consideration of uncertainty and limitations. It is often used in policy discourse to contrast with approaches that rely on intuition, ideology, or unexamined assumptions.

Scope and approach: Scienceinformed decisions assess relevant disciplines, weigh the quality and applicability of evidence, and remain open to updating as new results emerge. It favors transparent reasoning, explicit uncertainty estimates, and reliance on reproducible findings. It may incorporate models, experiments, and monitoring to test hypotheses in real-world settings.

Applications: In government and public administration, scienceinformed policy aims to align actions with robust scientific understanding—such as climate science informing emissions targets or epidemiological data guiding vaccination strategies. In business and technology, it guides risk assessment, product development, and regulatory compliance.

Limitations and critique: Critics note that scientific evidence can be incomplete or contested, and that socio-economic values or political constraints shape decisions. Implementing scienceinformed approaches requires access to quality research, capacity to interpret it, and effective communication with stakeholders and the public.