New study identifies eight reforms to defend against increasing threats to scientific integrity

A team of scientists have compared recent developments in US, Canada, and Australia to identify policies which should be supported by scientists and scientific societies active on the issue.

This study, published in the journal Conservation Biology, identified eight reforms which are needed to defend the scientific integrity of policy processes related to conservation of endangered species and ecosystems.

The research comes on the back of recent attacks on scientific integrity in the US, noting that this is not the first time these issues have arisen. So what can we learn from our past? It turns out communication is key. This includes communication from scientists to the public, and from scientists to government policy processes. These processes need to be supported by a range of reforms, for example, public access to scientific information, robust scientific integrity policy, and transparency.

This research is particularly relevant for us here at SCBO, as it provides guidelines on how we can operate in more challenging times.