Virology Experts in the Boundary Zone Between Science, Policy and the Public: A Biographical Analysis

This article aims to open up the biographical black box of three experts working in the boundary zone between science, policy and public debate. A biographical-narrative approach is used to analyse the roles played by the virologists Albert Osterhaus, Roel Coutinho and Jaap Goudsmit in policy and public debate. These figures were among the few leading virologists visibly active in the Netherlands during the revival of infectious diseases in the 1980s. Osterhaus and Coutinho in particular are still the key figures today, as demonstrated during the outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1). This article studies the various political and communicative challenges and dilemmas encountered by these three virologists, and discusses the way in which, strategically or not, they handled those challenges and dilemmas during the various stages of the field’s recent history. Important in this respect is their pursuit of a public role that is both effective and credible. We will conclude with a reflection on the H1N1 pandemic, and the historical and biographical ties between emerging governance arrangements and the experts involved in the development of such arrangements

Public faces of science: Experts and identity work in the boundary zone of science, policy and public debate

We are all familiar with the image of the scientist who repeatedly makes his or her appearance in the media whenever a major dramatic event has taken place and there is a need for a scientific explanation. The scientist then acts as an expert who provides us with an interpretation of the event, and calls for a particular policy response. He or she acts as an authority who tells use us what to fear, and what not to fear. Although some scientists developed a certain a routine in fulfilling such a public role, often the questions they are faced with exceed their scientific knowledge, and the best they can do is to provide a fair and reasonable assessment. In addition, when scientists play their role as experts, this is welcomed by some, but fiercely contested by others. Credibility and authority in the public and political domains are never guaranteed, and part of the scientist’s work is aimed at presenting themselves as credible, as having the right expertise and experience required to stand as expert. This thesis aims to understand this complicated role of scientific experts in policymaking and public debate. In the Introduction, I outline the focus and framework for this research. My thesis addresses the following question: How has the role of scientific experts in policy and public debate evolved in a society in which this expertise is both indispensable and highly contested? This question is answered by using a biographical-narrative approach to study exemplary scientific experts, selected on the basis of their public visibility and the size of their track record as public expert (their biography)

Reply to 'Preparing for the next public debate: Universal vaccination against hepatitis B

Contains fulltext : 94037.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access

Public faces of science : experts and identity work in the boundary zone of science, policy and public debate

Contains fulltext : 91456.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, 8 maart 2012Promotor : Zwart, H.A.E. Co-promotor : Marks, J.G.222 p

Crises and experts: a comparative view on the roles of experts in policy and public debate

Item does not contain fulltextScience and the public conference 2010, 3 juli 2010London, UK : [S.n.