title: A narrative policy approach to environmental conservation.
abstract: Due to the urgency and seriousness of the loss of biological diversity, scientists from across a range of disciplines are urged to increase the salience and use of their research by policy-makers. Increased policy nuance is needed to address the science-policy gap and overcome divergent views of separate research and policy worlds, a view still relatively common among conservation scientists. Research impact considerations should recognize that policy uptake is dependent on contextual variables operating in the policy sphere. We provide a novel adaptation of existing policy approaches to evidence impact that accounts for non-evidentiary "societal" influences on decision-making. We highlight recent analytical tools from political science that account for the use of evidence by policy-makers. Using the United Kingdom's recent embrace of the ecosystem approach to environmental management, we advocate analyzing evidence research impact through a narrative lens that accounts for the credibility, legitimacy, and relevance of science for policy.
authors.affiliation: Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK, ricky_lawton@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ricky N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Lawton
authors.forename: Murray A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rudd
mesh_terms: D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011640:Public Policy; D012106:Research