New roles of science in society: Different repertoires of knowledge brokering

Abstract

It has been suggested that in order to address current complex problems, scientists have to take on new roles that link the production and use of knowledge. However, what exactly these new roles mean is often not clearly identified. This paper contributes to this by discussing relevant literature related to different roles of science in society and by presenting the results of a study on the perspectives and activities of knowledge brokering. We identify three knowledge brokering repertoires: supplying, bridging and facilitating, which differ with respect to whether they maintain clear boundaries between knowledge production and use or set out to blur them. Based on our findings, we conclude that new roles of science not only afford, but may even strengthen traditional disciplinary scientific ideals. Thus, it is crucial to look beyond the intentions and ideals of new roles of science to how they are taken up in practice.