Illustrative Examples

We present several examples from the practice of interfacing science and policy in order to illustrate the need for knowledge quality assessment. The example of the Copenhagen aquifair illustrates the inconclusiveness and plurality of scientific interpretations of the same problem. The other examples all show that lapses in quality control and lack of open treatment of uncertainties lead to scandals and loss of trust in institutions in the science policy interface. All examples underline the urgent need for open and systematic treatment of uncertainty and quality in science for policy.