Examines the major pitfalls facing scientific advisers to governments, and shows how institutions have tried to overcome them.

Part I. Methodological Issues. Quality Control and Assurance in Scientific Policy Advice: 1. Introduction: the quest for quality as a challenge to scientific policy advice: an overdue debate? Justus Lentsch and Peter Weingart; 2. Quality control and peer review in advisory science Sheila Jasanoff; 3. Reconciling representation with reality: unitisation as an example for science and public policy Naomi Oreskes; 4. Looking for quality in all the wrong places: or the technological origins of quality in scientific policy advice Daniel Sarewitz; Part II. Collegial Science Advisory Bodies: 5. Knowledge, advice and influence: the role of the UK Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, 1970-2009 Susan Owens; 6. International Commission on Radiological Protection: policy and worldwide standards Christian Streffer; 7. The European Commission and the collection and use of science and technology advice Michael D. Rogers; Part III. Collegial Science Policy Advisory Bodies: 8. RMNO and quality control of scientific advice to policy Bert de Wit; 9. Quality assurance through procedures: policy advice by the German Science Council Andreas Stucke; Part IV. Research-Based Advisory Organizations: 10. The industrial organisation of economic policy preparation in The Netherlands Frank A. G. den Butter; 11. Quality control for the leading institutes of economic research in Germany: promoting quality within and competition between the institutes Gert G. Wagner; 12. Quality control and the link between science and regulation from a national and EU administrator's perspective Geoffrey Podger; 13. Science into policy: the European Environment Agency Sven Dammann and David Gee; 14. Reflective approaches to uncertainty assessment and communication Jeroen P. van der Sluijs, Arthur Petersen and Silvio Funtowicz; 15. Looking through the telescope: quality assurance in scientific advice to politics Reinhard Kurth and Susanne Glasmacher; 16. Scientific policy advice and foreign policymaking: Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, the German Institute for International and Security Affairs Volker Perthes; Part V. Academies of Science: 17. Scientific advice for policy in the United States: lessons from the National Academies and the former Congressional Office of Technology Assessment Peter D. Blair; 18. Quality control in scientific policy advice: the experience of the Royal Society Peter Collins; 19. European Academies Science Advisory Council Robin Fears and Volker ter Meulen; 20. Quality control in the advisory process: towards an institutional design for robust science advice Justus Lentsch and Peter Weingart.