Title: Quality assurance of knowledge claims in governance for sustainability: transcending the duality of passion vs. reason

Authors: Mario Giampietro; Sandra G.F. Bukkens

Addresses: Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici Z/103, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain ' Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici Z/103, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain

Abstract: The main problem of quality assurance on knowledge claims lies in the entanglement of normative (value-driven moral stands) and descriptive (narratives about causality) dimensions at different organisational levels of decision-making. Individuals must choose among contrasting legitimate narratives about "the right thing to do" while facing uncertainty about the outcome of their choice. The scientific community faces exactly the same predicament, but without being able to legitimately choose among contrasting value-driven moral stands. At the societal level, existing institutional settings are incapable of guaranteeing the quality of collective choices. Three types of quality control are needed for the proper production and use of knowledge claims for governance: on the usefulness of the chosen problem structuring (relevance); on the pertinence of the scientific representation (plausibility); on the effectiveness of the validation process (fairness). These quality checks are required to legitimise the decision-making process, thus transcending the traditional duality between passion and reason.

Keywords: science for governance; knowledge claims; quality control; multicriteria analysis; integrated assessment; complexity; sustainable development; quality assurance; sustainability; decision making; relevance; plausibility; fairness.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSD.2015.072662

International Journal of Sustainable Development, 2015 Vol.18 No.4, pp.282 - 309

Received: 03 May 2013
Accepted: 03 Jun 2014

Published online: 23 Oct 2015 *

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