Inquiry into the non-publication of government research
18 September 2015
Sense About Science is starting an inquiry into the delayed publication and suppression of government research.
Despite rules and guidelines requiring ministers and civil servants to publish government research promptly and independently, there have been several recent high-profile instances of research being delayed, modified, misrepresented, or dropped altogether. We hope the inquiry will help uncover the scale of the problem, its causes and to look at potential remedies.
Today we are inviting everyone with experience of government research, especially individuals from the research community, professional bodies, parliament, the civil service, charities and the media, to help us to build a better understanding of how government conducts, commissions and publishes research. Please get in touch if you can advise us on the process for commissioning and conducting government research; how publication guidelines are understood and applied; how different government departments publicise details of past, ongoing and future research plans.
Read about the inquiry and the areas we particularly want to hear about on the inquiry website, and send us your advice by email (researchinquiry@senseaboutscience.org) by Friday October 30th 2015. Contact our policy associate Prateek Buch at the same address for more information, or if you’d like to discuss your contribution.
This is the initial scoping stage of the inquiry. Your insights will shape the terms of reference and scope of the full inquiry which will be launched in November 2015. It is being led by the Rt Hon Sir Stephen Sedley.
For more about the inquiry, please visit researchinquiry.senseaboutscience.org.
Source: Sense About Science