IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/hepoli/v126y2022i3p234-244.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Open science communication: The first year of the UK's Independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies

Author

Listed:
  • McKee, Martin
  • Altmann, Danny
  • Costello, Anthony
  • Friston, Karl
  • Haque, Zubaida
  • Khunti, Kamlesh
  • Michie, Susan
  • Oni, Tolullah
  • Pagel, Christina
  • Pillay, Deenan
  • Reicher, Steve
  • Salisbury, Helen
  • Scally, Gabriel
  • Yates, Kit
  • Bauld, Linda
  • Bear, Laura
  • Drury, John
  • Parker, Melissa
  • Phoenix, Ann
  • Stokoe, Elizabeth
  • West, Robert

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the complex relationship between science and policy. Policymakers have had to make decisions at speed in conditions of uncertainty, implementing policies that have had profound consequences for people's lives. Yet this process has sometimes been characterised by fragmentation, opacity and a disconnect between evidence and policy. In the United Kingdom, concerns about the secrecy that initially surrounded this process led to the creation of Independent SAGE, an unofficial group of scientists from different disciplines that came together to ask policy-relevant questions, review the evolving evidence, and make evidence-based recommendations. The group took a public health approach with a population perspective, worked in a holistic transdisciplinary way, and were committed to public engagement. In this paper, we review the lessons learned during its first year. These include the importance of learning from local expertise, the value of learning from other countries, the role of civil society as a critical friend to government, finding appropriate relationships between science and policy, and recognising the necessity of viewing issues through an equity lens.

Suggested Citation

  • McKee, Martin & Altmann, Danny & Costello, Anthony & Friston, Karl & Haque, Zubaida & Khunti, Kamlesh & Michie, Susan & Oni, Tolullah & Pagel, Christina & Pillay, Deenan & Reicher, Steve & Salisbury, , 2022. "Open science communication: The first year of the UK's Independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(3), pages 234-244.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:126:y:2022:i:3:p:234-244
    DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2022.01.006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168851022000069
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.healthpol.2022.01.006?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Elizabeth J. Williamson & Alex J. Walker & Krishnan Bhaskaran & Seb Bacon & Chris Bates & Caroline E. Morton & Helen J. Curtis & Amir Mehrkar & David Evans & Peter Inglesby & Jonathan Cockburn & Helen, 2020. "Factors associated with COVID-19-related death using OpenSAFELY," Nature, Nature, vol. 584(7821), pages 430-436, August.
    2. Erik Millstone & Patrick van Zwanenberg, 2001. "Politics of expert advice: Lessons from the early history of the BSE saga," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 28(2), pages 99-112, April.
    3. William J Sutherland & Laura Bellingan & Jim R Bellingham & Jason J Blackstock & Robert M Bloomfield & Michael Bravo & Victoria M Cadman & David D Cleevely & Andy Clements & Anthony S Cohen & David R , 2012. "A Collaboratively-Derived Science-Policy Research Agenda," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(3), pages 1-5, March.
    4. Forman, Rebecca & Atun, Rifat & McKee, Martin & Mossialos, Elias, 2020. "12 Lessons learned from the management of the coronavirus pandemic," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(6), pages 577-580.
    5. Peter Weingart & Marina Joubert & Karien Connoway, 2021. "Public engagement with science—Origins, motives and impact in academic literature and science policy," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(7), pages 1-30, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kumar, Anand & Priya, Bhawna & Srivastava, Samir K., 2021. "Response to the COVID-19: Understanding implications of government lockdown policies," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 76-94.
    2. Brandily, Paul & Brébion, Clément & Briole, Simon & Khoury, Laura, 2021. "A poorly understood disease? The impact of COVID-19 on the income gradient in mortality over the course of the pandemic," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    3. Debele, Efa Tadesse, 2021. "Social Resilience and Challenges of Covid-19," Technium Business and Management, Technium Science, vol. 1(1), pages 19-29.
    4. Borau, Sylvie & Couprie, Hélène & Hopfensitz, Astrid, 2022. "The prosociality of married people: Evidence from a large multinational sample," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    5. Ojha, Hemant & Regmi, Udeep & Shrestha, Krishna K. & Paudel, Naya Sharma & Amatya, Swoyambhu Man & Zwi, Anthony B. & Nuberg, Ian & Cedamon, Edwin & Banjade, Mani R., 2020. "Improving science-policy interface: Lessons from the policy lab methodology in Nepal's community forest governance," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    6. Mohamed Mekhemar & Sameh Attia & Christof Dörfer & Jonas Conrad, 2021. "Dental Nurses’ Mental Health in Germany: A Nationwide Survey during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-18, July.
    7. Shelly J. Robertson & Olivia Bedard & Kristin L. McNally & Carl Shaia & Chad S. Clancy & Matthew Lewis & Rebecca M. Broeckel & Abhilash I. Chiramel & Jeffrey G. Shannon & Gail L. Sturdevant & Rebecca , 2023. "Genetically diverse mouse models of SARS-CoV-2 infection reproduce clinical variation in type I interferon and cytokine responses in COVID-19," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    8. Bojovic, Neva & Stanisljevic, Jovana & Giunti, Guido, 2021. "The impact of COVID-19 on abortion access: Insights from the European Union and the United Kingdom," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(7), pages 841-858.
    9. João Faro-Viana & Marie-Louise Bergman & Lígia A. Gonçalves & Nádia Duarte & Teresa P. Coutinho & Patrícia C. Borges & Christian Diwo & Rute Castro & Paula Matoso & Vanessa Malheiro & Ana Brennand & L, 2022. "Population homogeneity for the antibody response to COVID-19 BNT162b2/Comirnaty vaccine is only reached after the second dose across all adult age ranges," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    10. Dorn, Florian & Lange, Berit & Braml, Martin & Gstrein, David & Nyirenda, John L.Z. & Vanella, Patrizio & Winter, Joachim & Fuest, Clemens & Krause, Gérard, 2023. "The challenge of estimating the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19 interventions – Toward an integrated economic and epidemiological approach," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    11. Denis Mongin & Nils Bürgisser & Gustavo Laurie & Guillaume Schimmel & Diem-Lan Vu & Stephane Cullati & Delphine Sophie Courvoisier, 2023. "Effect of SARS-CoV-2 prior infection and mRNA vaccination on contagiousness and susceptibility to infection," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    12. Victor Pelaez, 2005. "Science And Governance In The National Systems Of Innovation Approach," Working Papers 0010, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Department of Economics.
    13. Alam, Thomas, 2009. "La vache folle et les vétérinaires. Récit d’une victoire inattendue et paradoxale sur le terrain de la sécurité sanitaire des aliments," Review of Agricultural and Environmental Studies - Revue d'Etudes en Agriculture et Environnement (RAEStud), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), vol. 90(4).
    14. Hiroshi Murayama & Isuzu Nakamoto & Takahiro Tabuchi, 2021. "Social Capital and COVID-19 Deaths: An Ecological Analysis in Japan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-9, October.
    15. Ján Palguta & Levínský, René & Škoda, Samuel, 2021. "Do Elections Accelerate the COVID-19 Pandemic? Evidence from a Natural Experiment," GLO Discussion Paper Series 891, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    16. Eran Mick & Alexandra Tsitsiklis & Natasha Spottiswoode & Saharai Caldera & Paula Hayakawa Serpa & Angela M. Detweiler & Norma Neff & Angela Oliveira Pisco & Lucy M. Li & Hanna Retallack & Kalani Ratn, 2022. "Upper airway gene expression shows a more robust adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in children," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    17. Megna, Rosario, 2021. "Inferring a cause-effect relationship between lockdown restrictions and COVID-19 pandemic trend during the first wave," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(11), pages 1441-1447.
    18. Luis D’Marco & María Jesús Puchades & Miguel Ángel Serra & Lorena Gandía & Sergio Romero-Alcaide & Elena Giménez-Civera & Pablo Molina & Nayara Panizo & Javier Reque & José Luis Gorriz, 2021. "SARS-CoV-2 vs. Hepatitis Virus Infection Risk in the Hemodialysis Population: What Should We Expect?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-6, May.
    19. Uchechukwu Levi Osuagwu & Chikasirimobi G Timothy & Raymond Langsi & Emmanuel K Abu & Piwuna Christopher Goson & Khathutshelo P Mashige & Bernadine Ekpenyong & Godwin O Ovenseri-Ogbomo & Chundung Asab, 2021. "Differences in Perceived Risk of Contracting SARS-CoV-2 during and after the Lockdown in Sub-Saharan African Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-12, October.
    20. Les Levidow & Susan Carr, 2007. "Europeanising Advisory Expertise: The Role of ‘Independent, Objective, and Transparent’ Scientific Advice in Agri-Biotech Regulation," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 25(6), pages 880-895, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:126:y:2022:i:3:p:234-244. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu or the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/healthpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.