DUBLIN (Daily Nous) — Public trust in expert opinion will be put to the test as a part of a new 3-million euro ($3.3 million) Horizon 2020 project lead by researchers at University College Dublin.
Dubbed ‘PEriTiA – Policy, Expertise and Trust in Action’, the three-year research project, led by Professor Maria Baghramian of UCD School of Philosophy, will investigate the role of science in policy decision making and the conditions under which people should trust and rely on expert opinion that shapes public policy.
The project is a follow up to the Irish Research Council funded ‘When Experts Disagree’, led by Professor Baghramian and Professor Luke Drury (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies).
It investigates the nature and conditions of public trust and aims to provide a framework that can be used to gauge the trustworthiness of policy related expert opinion.
“Given the central role assigned to expert bodies and organizations in social and political governance, (justified) trust in the information provided by scientific bodies and advisory organizations, by both the general public and policy makers, is a fundamental condition of good governance,” said Project Coordinator Professor Baghramian.
“Conversely, good governance in many areas depends on receiving reliable advice from experts; thus, the trustworthiness of the experts is essential for the effective running of complex modern societies.