Scientists and Policy Makers: An Ethnography of Communication

This paper is about scientists and policy makers and why these two groups seem so frustrated by each other's demands and advice. It will try to show the human problems in communication between academic scientists and policy makers. Eight areas of value conflict between the subcultures of basic science and policy-making are delineated. It is hoped, in this way, that some light will be shed on the relationships between science and policy-making. It is concluded that maximizing the casual relationships between scientists and policy makers is an effective means for maximizing both the input and the impact of scientific information on the decision-making process.