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Module 8: Science and Society
Quick questions on Evidence-based policy in Australia: HSC Investigating Science Module 8
15short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is case study 1?Show answer
Background. Smoking has been confirmed since the 1950s as a cause of lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, COPD and many other conditions. By 2010 tobacco was killing 15,000 Australians per year.
What is case study 3?Show answer
Background. The Port Arthur massacre, 28 to 29 April 1996, killed 35 people and injured 23. The shooter used semi-automatic rifles legally purchased.
What is case study 4?Show answer
Background. Road crashes were a leading cause of death in Australia in the 1960s.
What is case study 5?Show answer
See the Module 6 dot point HPV vaccine and Ian Frazer.
What is when evidence is not enough?Show answer
Several Australian policy areas illustrate that scientific evidence is necessary but not sufficient.
What is the science-policy interface?Show answer
Effective evidence-based policy depends on:
What is background?Show answer
Smoking has been confirmed since the 1950s as a cause of lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, COPD and many other conditions. By 2010 tobacco was killing 15,000 Australians per year.
What is the policy?Show answer
The Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011 came into force 1 December 2012. Cigarette packs must be standard olive-brown with large graphic health warnings. Brand names appear in small, identical typeface.
What is evaluation?Show answer
A textbook case of evidence shaping policy that delivered population-health benefits.
What is the evidence?Show answer
Multiple studies showed seatbelts reduced fatality risk by 40 to 50 per cent in serious crashes.
What is climate policy?Show answer
Despite IPCC consensus, Australian climate policy has been politically contested for two decades. The carbon pricing scheme (2012 to 2014) and the Safeguard Mechanism reforms (2023) illustrate that evidence interacts with politics.
What is drug policy?Show answer
Decriminalisation of cannabis and other drugs has been debated despite evidence on harm reduction. Australia's Capital Territory introduced cannabis decriminalisation; other jurisdictions have not.
What is mental health?Show answer
Evidence on early intervention has been substantial, but implementation has been uneven across states.
What is crediting policymakers without crediting researchers?Show answer
Plain packaging required years of Cancer Council research; the COVID-19 response required Doherty Institute modelling.
What is ignoring outcomes?Show answer
A policy with good intentions but no measurable benefit is not a good case study.