Consequences of media information uptake and deliberation: focus groups' symbolic coping with synthetic biology

Whenever a new, potentially controversial technology enters public awareness, stakeholders suggest that education and public engagement are needed to ensure public support. Both theoretical and empirical analyses suggest, however, that more information and more deliberation per se will not make people more supportive. Rather, taking into account the functions of public sense-making processes, attitude polarisation is to be expected. In a real-world experiment, this study on synthetic biology investigated the effect of information uptake and deliberation on opinion certainty and opinion valence in natural groups. The results suggest (a) that biotechnology represents an important anchor for sense-making processes of synthetic biology, (b) that real-world information uptake and deliberation make people feel more certain about their opinions, and (c) that group attitudes are likely to polarise over the course of deliberation if the issue is important to the groups.     

协商货币评估法中的参与不平等性研究——以胶州湾围填海造地生态损害评估为例

协商货币评估法通过在调查过程中引入协商环节,在提高环境物品估值有效性方面具有较大应用潜力,但同时协商过程中受访者的参与不平等使其估值结果面临质疑。本文以胶州湾海域围填海造地生态损害评估为例,探讨协商货币评估法中参与不平等的存在性及其对估值结果的影响。结果表明：①在协商过程中,受访者参与程度具有明显差异,是否为意见领袖是导致协商参与程度差异的最重要因素,收入水平、年龄对协商参与程度差异也具有一定贡献度;②协商讨论过程使得受访者的支付意愿水平显著下降,在协商后,海洋生态环境对受访者主观幸福感的影响程度、受访者对于围填海造地的态度、受教育程度与收入水平等变量开始对支付意愿产生显著影响;③协商讨论过程将促使受访者获取额外信息,并通过小组作用机制使个体偏好收敛于小组集体偏好的惯性重心,上述两个因素共同驱动受访者在协商讨论后改变其初始偏好,意味着协商环节为受访者形成真实偏好提供了充分的信息支持,但也因协商参与不平等的存在使得最终估值结果更多反映个别参与者的意志,在一定程度上影响了协商货币评估法的估值有效性。研究结论对规范协商货币评估法估值流程以提高估值有效性具有指导意义,为协商货币评估法在中国的应用提供参考依据。     

"... a certain amount of engineering involved": constructing the public in participatory governance arrangements

This paper argues that it is time for public understanding of science to develop a critical inventory of the forms, formats and methods of public participation and their respective implications and ambiguities. It highlights the need for analysing not only the limitations and deficiencies of participatory arrangements but also their constructive dimension, in particular the construction of the subject of participation. Looking into participatory governance arrangements in the issue area of genetic testing in Germany and the UK the paper presents a typology of formats according to the way the respective public is constructed and identifies four major constructions of publics: the general public, the pure public, the affected public and the partisan public. Each of these enables certain speaking positions while foreclosing others. The study shows that the main purposes of participatory arrangements in this issue area are knowledge production and education rather than political deliberation and decision-making.     

走向有效的公众参与科学——论科学传播“民主模型”的困境与知识分工的解决方案

科学传播中公众参与科学的民主模型是通过政治想象翻译成协商民主来实现的。过去二十年中,虽然公众参与科学无论在理论还是实践上都取得了巨大成就,但也面临着与公共政策中决策科学化与民主化相同的两难困境,使公众参与科学流于表面。这一困境产生的原因在于缺乏自我反省的体制化科学异化公众,进而导致在协商过程中科学家与公众政治地位不平等。实际上,科学家与公众拥有不同类型的知识,关注科学风险的不同维度。通过知识的劳动分工,公众负责决定目标,科学家负责实现目标,可以走向真正有效的公众参与科学。     

Narrative research in climate change adaptation—Exploring a complementary paradigm for research and governance

Climate adaptation research increasingly focuses on the socio-cultural dimensions of change. In this context, narrative research is often seen as a qualitative social science method used to frame adaptation communication. However, this perspective neglects an important insight provided by narrative theory as applied in the cognitive sciences and other practical fields: human cognition is organized around specific narrative structures. In adaptation, this means that how we ‘story’ the environment determines how we understand and practice adaptation, how risks are defined, who is authorized as actors in the change debate, and the range of policy options considered. Furthermore, relating an experience through story-telling is already doing ‘knowledge work’, or learning. In taking narrative beyond its use as an extractive social research methodology, we argue that narrative research offers an innovative, holistic approach to a better understanding of socio-ecological systems and the improved, participatory design of local adaptation policies. Beyond producing data on local knowledge(s) and socio-cultural and affective-emotive factors influencing adaptive capacity, it can significantly inform public engagement, deliberation and learning strategies–features of systemic adaptive governance. We critically discuss narrative as both a self-reflective methodology and as a paradigmatic shift in future adaptation research and practice. We explore the narrative approach as a basis for participatory learning in the governance of socio-ecological systems. Finally, we assemble arguments for investing in alternative governance approaches consistent with a shift to a ‘narrative paradigm’.     

Neither relativism nor imperialism: Theories and practices for a global information ethics

We highlight the important lessons our contributors present in our collective project of fostering dialogues both between applied ethics and computer science and between cultures. These include: critical reflexivity; procedural (partly Habermasian) approaches to establishing such central norms as “emancipation”; the importance of local actors in using ICTs both for global management and in development projects – especially as these contribute the trust essential for the social context of use of new technologies; and pluralistic approaches that preserve local cultural differences alongside shared norms. May Thorseth then contextualizes our work vis-a-vis broader philosophical discussions of deliberation and democracy.     

The disaggregated technology production function: A new model of university and corporate research

Technology and the process that produces it, research and development (R&D), are typically characterized as homogeneous entities. In reality, the typical industrial technology is composed of three elements: a generic technology base, supporting infratechnologies, and proprietary market applications (innovations). The first two have public good characteristics, and therefore, explicitly modeling them is essential for public policy purposes. The fundamental relationships among these elements require a technology production function that captures the supporting roles of the public good elements in creating proprietary applied technology. These critical quasi-public technology goods are supplied to a significant extent by exogenous (external) sources: central corporate research labs, government labs, and increasingly, universities. The expanding university role beyond basic research complicates the structure and functioning of the national R&D establishment and increases the need for a more accurate model of technological change to better inform R&D policy.Moreover, in assessing the resulting applied technology's impact on economic growth, both the general and partial equilibrium literatures enter the technology variable into a production function with the common “production” assets (physical capital and labor). Such models obscure an important distinction between technology and these production assets—namely, the fact that technology is primarily a “demand-shifting” asset. As such, its role is correctly specified only when combined with the other major demand-shifting asset, marketing. Allocations to these two assets vary across competing firms implying a spatial model of competition, while still providing traceability to the exogenous sources of public good technology elements, such as universities.     

Computer-Supported Argument Maps as a Policy Memory

This article investigates to what extent computer-supported argument visualization can be designed to encourage debate and deliberation by citizens on public issues. Such argument maps use icons and arrows to represent the structure of a series of related viewpoints, reducing the amount of text necessary to convey the ideas, thereby clarifying the issue under consideration. Argument maps have the potential to provide a readily accessible medium by which citizens can follow and join in public debates on policy issues. In this article we describe our approach and the type of maps we have chosen to use and then demonstrate the potential of a collection of maps to form a “policy memory” to support policy development. Our case study is the development of the “smoking in public places” policy in the Scottish Parliament. Our overall aim is to engage citizens in democratic decision making, leading to better policymaking and a more engaged citizenry.     

Reflective judgment and enlarged thinking online

This paper deals with forms of communication aiming at a better informed public or publics. The main idea is that democratic societies are dependent on toleration of a plurality of publics, and simultaneously there is a need for communication between the different publics. The ethos underlying this assumption is that democracy requires a transcendence of subjective conditions in order for the public(s) to gain legitimacy and recognition of opinions. Validity of opinions presupposes a public aspect that is available through communication. More specifically, the validity in question is obtained through its claim on universality – i.e. the transcendence of purely private subjective conditions. This kind of validity is found in reflective judgment or enlarged thinking, as displayed in Kant’s third critique. In the last part of the paper it is discussed how new information technologies and the internet may contribute positively to facilitate modes of communication that are associated with the particularity at work in reflective thinking. Storytelling technologies and virtual realities are of particular interest in envisaging how this might work.     

Designing Deliberation Systems

In a liberal democracy, the evolution of political agendas and formation of policy involves deliberation: serious consideration of political issues. Modern-day political participation is dependent on widespread deliberation supported by information and communication technologies, which also offer the potential to revitalize and transform citizen engagement in democracy. Although the majority of Web 2.0 systems enable these discourses to some extent, government institutions commission and manage specialized deliberation systems (information systems designed to support participative discourse) intended to promote citizen engagement. The most common examples of these are political discussion forums. Although usually considered trivial adaptations of well-known technologies, these types of deliberative systems are often unsuccessful, and present a distinct set of design and management challenges. In this article, the authors analyze the issues involved in establishing political deliberation systems under four headings: stakeholder engagement, Web platform design, service management, political process reshaping, and evaluation and improvement. We review the existing literature and present a longitudinal case study: the Norwegian Demokratitorget (Democracy Square). We define key issues in each of the four areas, which need to be understood to design and manage a successful net-based deliberation forum.     

[2015年第1期] 社会事件网络舆情的政府干预机制

社会事件的前卫指标来源于网络, 随着网络技术平台的发展, 使得信息 网络传播更为迅速和广泛,给社会事件的舆情应对带来诸多挑战。 文章以社会事 件网络舆情干预机制为研究对象, 从舆情传播过程的视角 , 提出社会事件网络舆 情干预机制的 4 个阶段, 即舆情干预判断、干预时机、干预措施和干预评价。 此 外, 文章还具体分析了各关键干预环节的技术解决方案, 并给出 舆情干预的政策 建议,为政府及相关部门对舆情的应对提供借鉴。     

Measuring the economic benefits from R&D: improvements in the MMI model of the United Kingdom National Measurement System

The benefits and priorities of public funding of R&D programmes are the subject of considerable research and debate and a number of methodologies have been suggested which might allow us to arbitrate on the issues involved. This paper looks at one method that is actually used in practice to evaluate and rank publicly funded R&D programmes in the UK. We describe the improvements that have been made to the mapping measurement impact (MMI) model, which is used by the UK Department of Trade and Industry to assess the economic benefit to industry of different research projects funded as part of the United Kingdom National Measurement System. The model has been in use for more than 5 years as a means to compare publicly funded R&D programmes. It allows evaluation of their benefit and prioritisation of future funding schemes and has potential for wider application in other areas of public R&D investment both inside and outside the UK.     

新建公安本科院校实践教学体系构建原则及基本途径之探索

新建公安本科院校是高等学校的重要组成部分．主要为公安机关培养高级应用型警务专门人才。因此,加强实践教学,构建科学的实践教学体系,提高人才培养质量具有更为重大的意义。本文试图就新建公安本科院校实践教学体系构建的原则和基本途径做些简单探索。     

Technology and economic growth: He case of Japan

This paper provides a general background of the characteristics of the Japanese economy that relate to its use of technology to promote economic growth. We do not consider the common view that Japan just catching up with the technological level of other industrialized countries explains its remarkable rate of post-war economic growth. Rather we argue that the effective importation of technology requires complementary resources of management, skilled labor, capital, and domestic R&D as well as public to facilitate the transfer of technology. Japan has such complementary resources and public policies. The first part of the paper describes the process of technology importation and current concerns in Japan about dependence on imported technology. The second part of the paper describes Japan's domestic R&D effort and its major reliance on private sector R&D, supplemented, however, with government intervention in selected industries. The third part of the paper examines the institutional settings that had the significant impacts on Japan's introduction of new technology. These institutional factors include 1) post-war economic growth and changes in industry structure, 2) the character of competition, 3) the business group and 4) characteristics and organization in the supply of labor.     

Computer-Supported Argument Maps as a Policy Memory

This article investigates to what extent computer-supported argument visualization can be designed to encourage debate and deliberation by citizens on public issues. Such argument maps use icons and arrows to represent the structure of a series of related viewpoints, reducing the amount of text necessary to convey the ideas, thereby clarifying the issue under consideration. Argument maps have the potential to provide a readily accessible medium by which citizens can follow and join in public debates on policy issues. In this article we describe our approach and the type of maps we have chosen to use and then demonstrate the potential of a collection of maps to form a “policy memory” to support policy development. Our case study is the development of the “smoking in public places” policy in the Scottish Parliament. Our overall aim is to engage citizens in democratic decision making, leading to better policymaking and a more engaged citizenry.     

Machine learning based system for managing energy efficiency of public sector as an approach towards smart cities

Energy efficiency of public sector is an important issue in the context of smart cities due to the fact that buildings are the largest energy consumers, especially public buildings such as educational, health, government and other public institutions that have a large usage frequency. However, recent developments of machine learning within Big Data environment have not been exploited enough in this domain. This paper aims to answer the question of how to incorporate Big Data platform and machine learning into an intelligent system for managing energy efficiency of public sector as a substantial part of the smart city concept. Deep neural networks, Rpart regression tree and Random forest with variable reduction procedures were used to create prediction models of specific energy consumption of Croatian public sector buildings. The most accurate model was produced by Random forest method, and a comparison of important predictors extracted by all three methods has been conducted. The models could be implemented in the suggested intelligent system named MERIDA which integrates Big Data collection and predictive models of energy consumption for each energy source in public buildings, and enables their synergy into a managing platform for improving energy efficiency of the public sector within Big Data environment. The paper also discusses technological requirements for developing such a platform that could be used by public administration to plan reconstruction measures of public buildings, to reduce energy consumption and cost, as well as to connect such smart public buildings as part of smart cities. Such digital transformation of energy management can increase energy efficiency of public administration, its higher quality of service and healthier environment.     

Freerider behaviour and the public finance of R&D activities in enterprises: the case of the Spanish low interest credits for R&D

This paper analyses the freeriding behaviour in the case of public finance for R&D activities in enterprises. It will start with a brief discussion about the concept of freeriding and its importance to justify public support measures and offers a review of the methods, indicators and results reflected in the evaluation studies.In the second part of the paper, the impact of the Spanish low interest credits for R&D projects for individual firms will be analysed. A profile of the “freerider firms” will be offered, defined as those supported firms whose innovative efforts do not depend on public aid and probably would or could have carried out the same level of innovative activities without public support. Moreover, the paper presents some evidence that firms with a freerider behaviour show a lower level of goal achievement related to their technical and commercial objectives and consider the learning effects as less important than the other firms. This could suggest, indirectly, that freeriders generate fewer externalities available for the production system as a whole—than the non-freerider firms.     

The Future of Professional Engineers in the Public Service

The last two decades have not been kind to professional engineers in the public service. Numbers have been slashed, their status has declined and engineering advice does not carry the weight it once did. While it has been said that non-engineers do not appreciate the benefits of engineering advice, part of the reason for this is that engineers themselves and the engineering profession have taken a low-key approach to promoting the benefits of engineering advice. If engineers want to have a positive future in the public sector, this attitude needs to change. Engineers and the engineering profession need to be proactive in promoting the benefits of sound engineering advice, professional judgment and the skills of engineers. This paper suggests a number of ways of accomplishing these goals.     

Concentration on the few: mechanisms behind a falling share of innovative firms in Germany

Innovation activities in the German business sector showed two opposing trends over the past two decades: While total innovation expenditures grew substantially, the number of firms conducting innovation activities fell sharply. In this paper, we explore the mechanisms behind the declining trend in the share of innovation active firms. Considering both input (R&D activities) and output (introduction of innovations), we model innovation decisions as a multi-stage process using continuous-time Markov chain analysis. We base our analyses on a 14-year panel from the German part of the Community Innovation Survey. Our results show that smaller firms and firms in sectors with less innovation competition are more likely to stop innovating. We also show that better financial situation and public funding can mitigate the trend towards a falling share of innovating and R&D-performing firms.