Usable Knowledge

This chapter discusses the issue of ‘usable knowledge’. Specifically, it looks at the relation of science to decision making: governments, civil servants, or groups of actors deliberating over collective problems, goals and solutions, and how these should be achieved. A key question that is often asked is how the sciences can best contribute to policy making: with what kinds of attitude or principles, in what kinds of organisations, with what kinds of communication tools? The chapter introduces concepts to characterise and analyse strategies of connecting science and policy. It addresses institutional as well as problem-oriented attempts to connect knowledge production and use. What kinds of arrangements lead to ‘usable knowledge’, or, alternatively phrased, to knowledge that is ‘effective’ or has ‘impact’? And, finally, can we still sensibly figure out some sort of criteria to evaluate the usability and quality of knowledge and of the knowledge production processes?.