Communication Barriers and Lessons Learned in Energy Policy

In the past 30 years, energy researchers have concluded their academic publication with sections that deal directly with policy implications and recommendations. Yet too often, these recommendations are written with little understanding of how policymakers balance different needs, prefer to communic...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hollie Smith, Christine Gilbert
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2018-02-01
Series:Sustainability
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/2/449
Description
Summary:In the past 30 years, energy researchers have concluded their academic publication with sections that deal directly with policy implications and recommendations. Yet too often, these recommendations are written with little understanding of how policymakers balance different needs, prefer to communicate, or use scientific information. In this manuscript, we outline key variables—time, training, and interpretation—that are key to understanding how to better communicate research implications to policymakers. We recommend emphasizing the power of language and the use of boundary objects in an attempt to mitigate the issues presented between researchers and policymakers.
ISSN:2071-1050