This article focuses on scholarly discourse on the science-policy interface, and in particular on questions regarding how this discourse can be understood in the course of history and which lessons we can learn. We aim to structure the discourse, show kinships of different concepts, and contextualize these concepts. For the twentieth century we identify three major phases that describe interactions on the science policy interface: the “linear phase” (1960s–1970s) when science informed policy-making in a unidirectional manner, the “interactive phase” (1970–2000s) when both sides found themselves in a continuous interaction, and the “embedded phase” (starting from the 2000s) when citizens’ voices come to be involved within this dialogue more explicitly. We show that the communicative relationship between science and policy-making has become more complex over time with an increasing number of actors involved. We argue that better skill-building and education can help to improve communication within the science-policy interface.

In this article, we examine the making of research infrastructures for digital research. In line with many scholars in this field, we understand research infrastructures as deeply relational and adaptive systems that are embedded in research practice. Our aim was to identify the relevant context factors, actor constellations, organizational settings, and strategies which contribute to the evolution of a basic service into an actual infrastructure. To this end, we conducted thirty-three case studies of non-commercial and commercial research services along the research life cycle. By examining how these services emerge, we hope to gain a better understanding of the conditions and strategies to transform a service into an infrastructure. We are able to identify competitive disadvantages for publicly financed infrastructure projects with regard to the mode of implementation and the resources invested in development and marketing. We suggest that the results of this study are of practical relevance, especially for individuals, communities, and organizations wanting to create research infrastructures, as well as for funders and policy makers wanting to support innovative and sustainable infrastructures.

Science is increasingly expected to help in solving complex societal problems in collaboration with societal stakeholders. However, it is often unclear under what conditions this can happen, i.e., what kind of challenges occur when science interacts with society and what kind of quality expectations prevail. This is particularly pertinent for Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), which are part of the object they study and whose knowledge is always subject to provisionality. Here we discuss how SSH researchers can contribute to societal problems, what challenges might occur when they interact with societal stakeholders, and what quality expectations arise in these arrangements. We base our argumentation on the results of an online consultation among 125 experts in Germany (representatives from SSH, learned societies, stakeholders from different societal groups, and relevant intermediaries).

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