Fostering research papers for better policy

Fostering research papers for better policy Dyna Rochmyaningsih ;   A Science Journalist

JAKARTA POST, 15 April 2013

  

Late last month, selected academics from global universities and research centers gathered at The Academia Consultative Meeting for The United Nations (UN) High Level Panel in Bali. These academics discussed and provided consultation about world development post 2015. We know that this meeting was hardly enough for the academics, since just in one day, they had to think and propose solutions for world problems such as overpopulation, health, energy, ecosystems, and science and technology. However, the meeting symbolized that the world’s governments are concerned with the academics’ perspective in formulating solutions for global problems. Thus, it implies that science policy, as it is called, should be applied in every member state of the UN, including Indonesia. In the age of global change, science plays an important role in recognizing world problems and providing solutions for adaptation. For example, research has shown that wider areas of marine protected areas could better adapt to climate change. This scientific finding is important, to be considered by policy makers in marine affairs for climate change adaptation. But the problem is, how scientific findings can come to the attention of the policy makers. As reported on the website of the Bali High Level Panel on Eminent Persons (HLPEP) meeting, this problem is something that needs to be solved soon by the academics. They should find a way to bridge the information gap between the scientific community and the policy makers. In my opinion, the bridge could be built by fostering publications of local research. Our local scientific findings should be organized in peer-reviewed journals and science journalism should take part in bringing them to public attention. By publishing their research in peer-reviewed journals, their ideas are recorded and easily accessed by a science journalist. And when a science journalist makes the research available to the wider public, policy makers are more likely to read it. Fostering research publications is also important for the world as a whole. As we know, Indonesia is a home for a great biodiversity both in its forests and its marine ecosystem. Thousands of key scientific questions could derive from here and they would likely originate from local universities and research centers. And surely, in the age of global change, these questions are important in gaining sustainable development. But based on the latest facts revealed in Nature Asia, Indonesia only publishes three papers per year. Hence, the world loses a lot of potential scientific findings from here — and thus important scientific information for better policy. To overcome this problem, Indonesia has initiated a controversial policy which obliges all post-graduate students to publish their work before their graduation. While we should be optimistic about this effort, I think we also should be more structuralized in identifying and overcoming the problem of research publication. All research, publications and the quality of journals should be recorded and the reason why scientists do not publish their papers in international journals should be investigated. By doing this, it is expected that our research publications will not disappear in the university or local scientific community. We all hope that there will be more local research published in peer-reviewed journals. Thus it will be easier for science journalists to find and make it into accessible news that will eventually be read by the public and the policy makers. In the end, our local academics can contribute to world development, and not just by attending one day meetings. They can contribute by publishing their research in international peer-reviewed journals, get exposed in science news and finally catch the eye of the policy makers. ●