GENE MAPPING AND POLICY-MAKING: AUSTRALIA AND THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT

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Prometheus

Volume 12, Issue 1

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GENE MAPPING AND POLICY-MAKING: AUSTRALIA AND THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT

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Author(s): Brian Balmer

Publication date (Print): June 1994

Journal: Prometheus

Publisher: Pluto Journals

Keywords: Human Genome Poject, Australia, genetics, biomedical research, policy process, peer review

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Author and article information

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Journal ID (publisher-id): cpro20

Journal ID (archive): CPRO

Title: Prometheus

Subtitle: Critical Studies in Innovation

Publisher: Pluto Journals

ISSN (Print): 0810-9028

ISSN (Electronic): 1470-1030

Publication date (Print): June 1994

Volume: 12

Issue: 1

Pages: 3-18

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Publisher ID: 8629373 Coden ID: Prometheus, Vol. 12, No. 1, 1994: pp. 3–18

DOI: 10.1080/08109029408629373

SO-VID: 4279e408-59aa-4357-96d7-073e29a05ff2

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Figures: 0, Tables: 0, References: 39, Pages: 16

NOTES AND REFERENCES

Majone G.. 1980. . Policies as Theories. . Omega . , Vol. 8((2)): 151––162. . Evidence, Argument and Persuasion in the Policy Process
Strickland S. P.. 1972. . Politics, Science, and Dread Disease: A Short History of United States Medical Research Policy . , p. xi Cambridge , Massachusetts : : Harvard University Press. .
A pertinent example of how scientific merit is regarded as an unproblematic concept can be found in a recent evaluation of the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. J. Bienenstock, External Review of the National Health and Medical Research Council, Report to the Health Minister, Canberra, December 1993, p.35.
P.F.R. Little, ‘Gene Mapping and the Human Genome Mapping Project’, Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 2, 1990, pp. 478–84; OTA., Mapping our Genes, Genome Projects. How Big How Fast? Congress of the United States, OTA-BA-373. 1988, Washington D.C., US Government Printing Office.
See, for example, special edition of Issues in Science and Technology, 3, 3, 1987.
DOE and NIH, Understanding Our Genetic Inheritance: The US Human Genome Project. The First Five Years FY 1991–1995, 1990, National Technical Information Service, US Department of Commerce, Springfield, Virginia, 22161 USA; R.M. Cook-Deagan, ‘The Human Genome Project: The Formation of Federal Policies in the United States, 1986–1990’ in K.E. Hanna, Biomedical Politics, Division of Health Sciences Policy, Committee to Study Biomedical Decision Making. Institute of Medicine, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1991, pp. 99–168.
D.J. McLaren, Human Genome Research: A Review of European and International Contributions, 1991, Medical Research Council, London.
ibid., pp. 60–61.
Bodmer W.. 1991. . Grant to HUGO. . Nature . , Vol. 352:: 274
Callen D.. 1992. . The Human Genome Project - Australian Science Must Be Involved! . Search . , Vol. 23((9)): 264––266. .
Australian Science and Technology Council, Profile of Australian Science, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1989, p. 202; National Health & Medical Research Council (1991), Strategy for Health and Medical Research for the Triennium 1993–1995, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1991, p.1 I.
Australian Science and Technology Council, op.cit., p. 425.
Balmer B. and Martin B. R.. 1991. . Who's Doing What In Human Genome Research? . Scientometrics . , Vol. 22((3)): 369––377. .
McClaren, op.cit.
A phenomenon not restricted to the Australian community, see B. Balmer, Mutations in the Research System? The Human Genome Mapping Project as Science Policy (DPhil thesis, Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex, November 1993).
B. Balmer, op.cit.
Interview, Hospital Research Laboratory based Human Geneticist.
Interview, University Hospital based Human Geneticist.
Latour B. and Woolgar S.. 1979. . Laboratory Life: The Social Construction of Scientific Facts . , p. 181––230. . Beverley Hills and London : : SAGE Publications. .
Murdoch Institute. . 1991. . Annual Report . , Melbourne : : Murdoch Institute. .
Danks D. M.. 1990. . Some thoughts on the Human Genome Project. . The Medical Journal of Australia . , Vol. 152:: 488––9. .
Interview, NH&MRC Working Party Member.
NH&MRC, op cit, p. 9.
K.M. Harman, Supporting Medical Research in Australia: Funding Mechanisms and Allocation of Competitive Research Grants by the National Health & Medical Research Council, Working Paper No.4, Higher Education and Research Policy Group, Department of Administrative, Higher and Adult Education Studies, University of New England, Armidale, December 1991; R. Smith, ‘The nitty gritty: funding, reviewing, training and communicating’. British Medical Journal, 302, 1991, pp. 946–8.
Harman, op.cit.
Popper K.. 1959. . The Logic of Scientific Discovery . , London : : Hutchinson. .
See, for example, I. Lakatos and A. Musgrave, Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1970; P.K. Feyerabend, Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge, Verso, London, 1978; K.D. Knorr-Cetina, The Manufacture of Knowledge: An Essay on the Constructivist and Centextual Nature of Science, Pergamon Press, Oxford and New York, 1981; M. Mulkay and G. N. Gilbert, ‘Putting Philosophy to Work: Karl Popper's Influence on Scientific Practice’, Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 11, 3, 1981, pp. 389–407.
See Mulkay and Gilbert, op.cit.
Interview, NH&MRC Policy-maker.
Interview, University Hospital based Human Geneticist.
Interview, Research Institute based Human Geneticist.
Travis G. D.L. and Collins H. M.. 1991. . New Light on Old Boys: Cognitive and Institutional Particularism in the Peer Review system. . Science, Technology and Human Values . , Vol. 16((3)) Summer;: 322––341. .
DITAC, personal communication.
Dudley M., Dennis N. and Thomas T.. 1991. . Summary of Genome Research in Australian Institutions . , Canberra : : Department of Industry, Technology & Commerce. .
McClaren, op.cit., pp. 60–61.
Liyanage S. and Mitchell. H.. December. 1991 . Australian Research Centres Program: Research Concentration in Australian Higher Education Institutions. . , December. , University of Wollongong. .
Cambriosco A., Limages C. and Pronovost. D.. 1990. . Representing Biotechnology: An Ethnography of Quebec Science Policy. . Social Studies of Science. . , Vol. 20:: 195––227. .
Mulkay M.. 1976. . Norms and Ideology in Science’. . Social Science Information . , Vol. 15:: 637––656. .
This conclusion could be further substantiated through studies of other countries involved in, or attempting to become involved in, the project. For a detailed study of the UK Human Genome Mapping Project and a direct comparison with the case discussed in this paper sec Balmer, op.cit.

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Majone G.. 1980. . Policies as Theories. . Omega . , Vol. 8((2)): 151––162. . Evidence, Argument and Persuasion in the Policy Process

[2] Strickland S. P.. 1972. . Politics, Science, and Dread Disease: A Short History of United States Medical Research Policy . , p. xi Cambridge , Massachusetts : : Harvard University Press. .

[3] A pertinent example of how scientific merit is regarded as an unproblematic concept can be found in a recent evaluation of the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. J. Bienenstock, External Review of the National Health and Medical Research Council, Report to the Health Minister, Canberra, December 1993, p.35.

[4] P.F.R. Little, ‘Gene Mapping and the Human Genome Mapping Project’, Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 2, 1990, pp. 478–84; OTA., Mapping our Genes, Genome Projects. How Big How Fast? Congress of the United States, OTA-BA-373. 1988, Washington D.C., US Government Printing Office.

[5] See, for example, special edition of Issues in Science and Technology, 3, 3, 1987.

[6] DOE and NIH, Understanding Our Genetic Inheritance: The US Human Genome Project. The First Five Years FY 1991–1995, 1990, National Technical Information Service, US Department of Commerce, Springfield, Virginia, 22161 USA; R.M. Cook-Deagan, ‘The Human Genome Project: The Formation of Federal Policies in the United States, 1986–1990’ in K.E. Hanna, Biomedical Politics, Division of Health Sciences Policy, Committee to Study Biomedical Decision Making. Institute of Medicine, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1991, pp. 99–168.

[7] D.J. McLaren, Human Genome Research: A Review of European and International Contributions, 1991, Medical Research Council, London.

[8] ibid., pp. 60–61.

[9] Bodmer W.. 1991. . Grant to HUGO. . Nature . , Vol. 352:: 274

[10] Callen D.. 1992. . The Human Genome Project - Australian Science Must Be Involved! . Search . , Vol. 23((9)): 264––266. .

[11] Australian Science and Technology Council, Profile of Australian Science, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1989, p. 202; National Health & Medical Research Council (1991), Strategy for Health and Medical Research for the Triennium 1993–1995, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1991, p.1 I.

[12] Australian Science and Technology Council, op.cit., p. 425.

[13] Balmer B. and Martin B. R.. 1991. . Who's Doing What In Human Genome Research? . Scientometrics . , Vol. 22((3)): 369––377. .

[14] McClaren, op.cit.

[15] A phenomenon not restricted to the Australian community, see B. Balmer, Mutations in the Research System? The Human Genome Mapping Project as Science Policy (DPhil thesis, Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex, November 1993).

[16] B. Balmer, op.cit.

[17] Interview, Hospital Research Laboratory based Human Geneticist.

[18] Interview, University Hospital based Human Geneticist.

[19] Latour B. and Woolgar S.. 1979. . Laboratory Life: The Social Construction of Scientific Facts . , p. 181––230. . Beverley Hills and London : : SAGE Publications. .

[20] Murdoch Institute. . 1991. . Annual Report . , Melbourne : : Murdoch Institute. .

[21] Danks D. M.. 1990. . Some thoughts on the Human Genome Project. . The Medical Journal of Australia . , Vol. 152:: 488––9. .

[22] Interview, NH&MRC Working Party Member.

[23] NH&MRC, op cit, p. 9.

[24] K.M. Harman, Supporting Medical Research in Australia: Funding Mechanisms and Allocation of Competitive Research Grants by the National Health & Medical Research Council, Working Paper No.4, Higher Education and Research Policy Group, Department of Administrative, Higher and Adult Education Studies, University of New England, Armidale, December 1991; R. Smith, ‘The nitty gritty: funding, reviewing, training and communicating’. British Medical Journal, 302, 1991, pp. 946–8.

[25] Harman, op.cit.

[26] Popper K.. 1959. . The Logic of Scientific Discovery . , London : : Hutchinson. .

[27] See, for example, I. Lakatos and A. Musgrave, Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1970; P.K. Feyerabend, Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge, Verso, London, 1978; K.D. Knorr-Cetina, The Manufacture of Knowledge: An Essay on the Constructivist and Centextual Nature of Science, Pergamon Press, Oxford and New York, 1981; M. Mulkay and G. N. Gilbert, ‘Putting Philosophy to Work: Karl Popper's Influence on Scientific Practice’, Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 11, 3, 1981, pp. 389–407.

[28] See Mulkay and Gilbert, op.cit.

[29] Interview, NH&MRC Policy-maker.

[30] Interview, University Hospital based Human Geneticist.

[31] Interview, Research Institute based Human Geneticist.

[32] Travis G. D.L. and Collins H. M.. 1991. . New Light on Old Boys: Cognitive and Institutional Particularism in the Peer Review system. . Science, Technology and Human Values . , Vol. 16((3)) Summer;: 322––341. .

[33] DITAC, personal communication.

[34] Dudley M., Dennis N. and Thomas T.. 1991. . Summary of Genome Research in Australian Institutions . , Canberra : : Department of Industry, Technology & Commerce. .

[35] McClaren, op.cit., pp. 60–61.

[36] Liyanage S. and Mitchell. H.. December. 1991 . Australian Research Centres Program: Research Concentration in Australian Higher Education Institutions. . , December. , University of Wollongong. .

[37] Cambriosco A., Limages C. and Pronovost. D.. 1990. . Representing Biotechnology: An Ethnography of Quebec Science Policy. . Social Studies of Science. . , Vol. 20:: 195––227. .

[38] Mulkay M.. 1976. . Norms and Ideology in Science’. . Social Science Information . , Vol. 15:: 637––656. .

[39] This conclusion could be further substantiated through studies of other countries involved in, or attempting to become involved in, the project. For a detailed study of the UK Human Genome Mapping Project and a direct comparison with the case discussed in this paper sec Balmer, op.cit.

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