What counts as good evidence for policy?

Policymakers often talk up the importance of evidence-based policy, with increasing calls for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) as the best way of testing whether particular interventions work. But finding and applying evidence in policy is anything but straightforard. Evidence alone rarely wins complex political arguments. Often this merely shifts the locus of debate to what counts as evidence. 

Join us as we explore the politics of evidence across various policy domains, including climate change, innovation, public health, biodiversity, education and more. Our panel of experts will offer introductory perspectives, followed by what promises to be a lively debate.

Speakers:

• Roger Pielke Jr, Professor of Environmental Studies, University of Colorado at Boulder, and author of The Honest Broker. 
• Richard Horton, Editor of The Lancet.
• Georgina Mace, Professor of Biodiversity and Ecosystems, University College London.
• Peter Scott, Professor of Higher Education Studies, Institute of Education. Jonathan Breckon, Alliance for Useful Evidence. 

Chair: James Wilsdon, Professor of Science and Democracy, University of Sussex.

This event is organised by the Science and Technology Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex, and UCL's department of Science and Technology Studies. We are grateful to the Institute of Physics for hosting.