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Public Consultation
Social scientists at Edinburgh University (led by Dr Gill Haddow and Prof Sarah Cunningham-Burley) are currently busy with a programme of public consultation for Generation Scotland.
Social and political context
Scientific advances such as nanotechnology, DNA databases, and stem cells are generating new controversies. This is at a time when public trust in science and medicine is supposedly decreasing due to ‘scares’ such as BSE, foot and mouth, GM crops, Alder Hey, and MMR. So, the government has stressed the importance of dialogue or consultation with the public:
“That direct dialogue with the public should move from being an optional add-on to science-based policy-making and to the activities of research organisations and learned institutions, and should become a normal and integral part of the process.” (House of Lords Report (2000) Science and Society paragraph 5.48)
What is public dialogue or engagement?
It can:
- be about education and information that includes the uncertainty of the science
- be interactive and dynamic and incorporate 2-way talk or dialogue.
- engage participants very early on in the development of the organisation
- often involve new research methods such as citizen juries, consensus conferences, re-convened focus groups and stakeholder dialogue.
- ask ‘big questions’ such as how and whether funding should be given.
- come with a commitment to feedback and response by the organisation.
- have dialogue or talk with the public is not just a one-off and people are allowed the time to consider the issues
- be about making serious attempts to reach those marginalised in society.
But:
- Whose views do you listen to? Is it the majority or the minority?
- There is no one thing called THE PUBLIC as people are very different to one another and have very different social values, interests and identities.
- Participation is not always about being included.
- It is important to allow people time to consider the issues but it is also important to get a representative opinion.
- Sometimes it is difficult to consider issues when there are only vague ideas.
We did some research before the launch of Generation Scotland (February 2006) and are now busy with the current project, having still more planned consultation for next year and beyond.
1st STAGE (2002-2004):
Expert reviews of legal, ethical & engagement issues
Full day public event
17 “specialist” in-depth interviews
10 focus groups
CURRENT STAGE (2004 – 2007):
On-going talks with interested citizen groups [
Family interviews
Public Survey
Exit questionnaires
Independent social scientist observation of meeting
3rd “NEXT” STAGE (2007 – 2009):
Interviews with non-participants
Hard-to-reach groups
Re-interview scientists and others involved in GS
Currently, comments were made about the GS Participant Information Leaflet and consent form, which were then re-worked and will shortly be reviewed by the Campaign for Plain English. Queries and concerns that were raised were used as the basis for the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ page of this website. In February, 2006, we organised a one-day workshop in Dundee when GS nurses, social/scientists, IT managers, GPs, etc met and discussed some of the early findings. We think that people have important experiences and views that can help inform how GS is communicated, organised and governed. GS has made a promise to listen, discuss and respond to the findings; not just around ideas about study materials, recruitment or participation but also on more difficult social, legal and ethical issues.
Click here to view the Consultation Paper PDF for more information about forthcoming research.
For more information contact: Gill Haddow at gill.haddow@ed.ac.uk
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