Assessing quality of knowledge for adaptation from climate services: Case studies from Sweden

This research paper examines the quality of climate adaptation knowledge produced through a co-design process in Sweden, arguing that traditional knowledge quality criteria are insufficient for understanding how knowledge is actually applied by decision-makers.

• Top-down methods of producing knowledge are viewed as a primary cause for the disconnect between scientific research and practical application in climate adaptation, as they often fail to address the specific requirements of the users.
• The study utilized a 5-year research collaboration involving social and natural science researchers and local stakeholders to co-design climate services intended to assist in adaptation planning and decision-making across two Swedish case studies.
• While standard knowledge quality criteria—specifically credibility, legitimacy, saliency, usability, and usefulness—are still relevant, they do not fully account for the application of knowledge. Factors outside the co-design process, such as non-tangible outcomes and the specific decision-making context, are critical to knowledge assessment.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2021). Assessing quality of knowledge for adaptation from climate services: Case studies from Sweden. https://www.sei.org/publications/assessing-quality-knowledge-adaptation-climate-services-sweden/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Assessing quality of knowledge for adaptation from climate services: Case studies from Sweden. 2021. https://www.sei.org/publications/assessing-quality-knowledge-adaptation-climate-services-sweden/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Assessing quality of knowledge for adaptation from climate services: Case studies from Sweden |date=4 May 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/assessing-quality-knowledge-adaptation-climate-services-sweden/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2021assessing, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Assessing quality of knowledge for adaptation from climate services: Case studies from Sweden}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/assessing-quality-knowledge-adaptation-climate-services-sweden/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }