麻省理工學院「開放式課程網頁」 | 都市研究與計畫 | 11.941 2003秋季課程：在科學偏重的政策爭議中如何使用共同發現事實 I

11.941以及11.942的課程共同組合成一年的專題討論。專題討論的目的在探討科學以及科學家在生態系統中所扮演的角色，及著重於運用聯合事實發現作為環境決策方法的自然資源管理，這樣的方法就如同是一個新的環境政策決策方式，因為越來越多的科學家以及科學組織正遭遇到一個難題：當在大聲疾呼決策必須基於科學的時候，為何重要的社會決定總是忽視科學？其中一個理由便是決策往往是被非科學的、相對立的的利害團體所左右。因此，即使科學協助瞭解不同的選擇，它也只是被每一關係人（團體）所考慮的價值與利益之一。為回應這樣新興的挑戰，科學家及科學機構，像是美國地質調查局（U.S. Geological Survey），正從事於研究將科學結合價值取向的社會決策問題。這個研究包含實驗設計，實驗將會評估運用新的聯合事實發現方法去探討一些最受爭論的環境衝突是否合適。在課程的前幾個部分，我們將會檢視運用科學在環境衝突的問題。之後的課程部分，學生將會與討論一些已經包含或應該包含聯合事實發現方法的案例。

11.941 and 11.942 make up a one-year seminar. The goal of this seminar is to explore the role of science and scientists in ecosystems and natural resources management focusing on joint fact finding as a new approach to environmental policy-making. Increasingly scientists and science organizations are confronting a conundrum: Why is science often ignored in important societal decisions even as the call for decisions based on sound science escalates? One reason is that decision-making is often driven by a variety of nonscientific, adversarial, and stakeholder dynamics. Thus, even though science helps inform choices, it is only one of many values and interests considered by each stakeholder. In response to this emerging challenge, scientists, and science agencies such as the U.S. Geological Survey, are embarking upon research that explores the problems of incorporating science into value-laden societal decisions. This research includes designing experiments that will assess the appropriateness of using the new and emerging approach of Joint Fact Finding to address some of the Nation's most contentious environmental conflicts. In the first few sessions we will examine the problems of using science in environmental disputes. In following sessions, students will analyze and discuss cases that involved or that should have involved Joint Fact Finding of various kinds.