The Role of Evidence in Risk Characterization: Making Sense of Conflicting Data »

Dr. Wiedemann is the Director of the Programme Group MUT at the Research Centre Jülich. He has extensive work-experience in the field of societal conflicts over modern technologies with a focus on risk communication and evidence characterization. A field of special interest is the potential risk of electromagnetic fields. Dr. Wiedemann was elected President (in 2002 and 2003) of the Society for Risk Analysis - Europe (SRA-E). He was called to serve in different sub-committees of the German Radiation Protection Commission and served as a member of the EMF Communication Group at the WHO EMF Project (1998-2000).

Holger Schütz is a senior scientist at the Programme Group MUT. His research focus is on risk perception and risk communication, comparative assessment of environmental health risks, and evidence assessment. He is the first author of the book "Comparative Risk Assessment" published by Wiley-VCH in 2006.

This book is one of the few that focus on the critical problem of the appropriate characterization of conflicting data for an adequate risk evaluation. It comprehensively coves the different approaches in various research areas in the US and in Europe, while also considering the psychological and ethical implications of risk evaluation. Special attention is paid to the controversially debated issue of potential health risks through electromagnetic fields.

From the contents:

• From Scientific Analysis to Risk Policy

• Making Sense of Conflicting Data: Evidence Characterization in Different Research Areas

• Making Sense of Conflicting Data: Procedures for Characterizing Evidence

• Psychological and Ethical Aspects in Dealing with Conflicting Data and Uncertainty

• Practical Implications

Written by leading experts in the field, this is an indispensable resource for policy makers and professionals in health risk assessment.

1 Introduction Holger Schutz Schutz, Holger Peter M. Widemann Widemann, Peter M. 1

I From Scientific Analysis to Risk Policy

2 Risk Assessment and Risk Communication for Electromagnetic Fields: A World Health Organization Perspective T. Emilie van Deventer van Deventer, T. Emilie Kenneth R. Foster Foster, Kenneth R. 13

3 Characterizing Evidence and Policy Making Evi Vogel Vogel, Evi Ginevra Delfini Delfini, Ginevra 25

II Making Sense of Conflicting Data: Evidence Characterization in Different Research Areas 35

4 Basic Principles and Evidence Characterization of the Data from Genetox Investigations Gunter Obe Obe, Gunter Vijayalaxmi 37

5 Animal Studies Alexander Lerchl Lerchl, Alexander 55

6 Epidemiology Joachim Schuz Schuz, Joachim 67

7 Principles and Practice of Evidence Characterization in Environmental Clinical Case Studies Caroline Herr Herr, Caroline Thomas Eikmann Eikmann, Thomas 81

III Making Sense of Conflicting Data: Procedures for Characterizing Evidence 91

8 Characterizing Evidence with Evidence-based Medicine Alexander Katalinic Katalinic, Alexander Dagmar Luhmann Luhmann, Dagmar 93

9 The IARC Monographs' Approach to Characterizing Evidence Vincent James Cogliano Cogliano, Vincent James Robert Alexander Baan Baan, Robert Alexander Kurt Straif Straif, Kurt Yann Grosse Grosse, Yann Marie Beatrice Secretan Secretan, Marie Beatrice Fatiha El Ghissassi Ghissassi, Fatiha El 101

10 The Swiss Health Risk Approach Martin Roosli Roosli, Martin 111

11 Procedures for Characterizing Evidence: German Commission on Radiation Protection Norbert Leitgeb Leitgeb, Norbert 121

12 Lessons from the California Electromagnetic Field Risk Assessment of 2002Raymond Richard Neutra Neutra, Raymond Richard 131

13 Evidence Maps - A Tool for Summarizing and Communicating Evidence in Risk Assessment Holger Schutz Schutz, Holger Peter M. Wiedemann Wiedemann, Peter M. Albena Spangenberg Spangenberg, Albena 151

IV Psychological and Ethical Aspects in Dealing With Conflicting Data and Uncertainty 161

14 Perception of Uncertainty and Communication about unclear Risks Peter Wiedemann Wiedemann, Peter Holger Schutz Schutz, Holger Andrea Thalmann Thalmann, Andrea 163

15 Ethical Guidance for Dealing with Unclear Risk Armin Grunwald Grunwald, Armin 185

V Practical Implications 203

16 Lessons Learned: Recommendations for Communicating Conflicting Evidence for Risk Characterization Peter Wiedemann Wiedemann, Peter Franziska Borner Borner, Franziska Holger Schutz Schutz, Holger 205

Index 215