Thankfully, the negative developments have also sparked a backlash. Last spring, more than a million people around the world stood up for science in the American initiative March for Science - also here in Sweden. During the 2018 election year, around 80 Swedish organizations have gathered around the #Hurvetdudet initiative. Through this straightforward question, we want to get facts and research to take up more space in the political debate.

Based on the content of the election manifestos of the parliamentary parties, we can see that we have not reached our goal. Overall, the use of words such as research, researchers, science, innovation and collaboration is decreasing this year, compared to the manifesto for the 2010 election. This is according to a review conducted by investigators at Vetenskap & Allmänhet, which coordinates #Hurvetdudet? More resources for research are promised on a total of 23 occasions this year, while the importance of basing decisions on research is only mentioned four times in all parties' manifestos. Words such as facts and evidence do not appear at all.

There is of course much more than science to consider for politicians; attitudes in society, economic conditions, ideology and ethics are some examples. At the same time, the development of society depends on decisions being well founded and based on the best available knowledge. It is important to know the basis for the decisions that are taken.

Overall, we believe that the exchange between research and policy needs to be strengthened. We would therefore like to give three pieces of advice to Sweden's next government on how policy can be better anchored in facts, evidence and research-based knowledge:

1. initiate more systematic reviews of research-based knowledge. 

In some policy areas, such reviews are already being conducted in Sweden, for example for health care and social work by SBU, the Swedish National Board for Medical and Social Evaluation, and for schools by the Swedish School Research Institute. However, these reviews are mainly aimed at practitioners, not politicians. Independent experts, as well as expert authorities and ministry officials, should more often be commissioned to produce broad compilations of research-based evidence.

2. reforms should be supported by available research and their impact systematically evaluated.

Government inquiries need to be set up and given sufficient time if the issues are large and complex. Test and evaluate - when possible - on a small scale before implementing changes nationally.

3. Encourage researchers to interact with society.

Improve their ability to share the knowledge they have developed - and to do so in a way that politicians and everyone else can understand and use. Give researchers an incentive to participate in the public debate and in popular education to contribute knowledge, guidance and nuance to various issues.

Reforms should be supported by available research and their impact systematically evaluated. Government inquiries need to be set up and given sufficient time if the issues are large and complex. Test and evaluate - where possible - on a smaller scale before implementing changes nationally.

Prospective ministers and all those elected to political office in municipalities, county councils/regions and parliament: Tell us what evidence and facts your policy is based on! And don't forget to ask: How do you know?!

Monica Widman Lundmark, Secretary General ABF
Heike Erkers, President Akademikerförbundet SSR
Karin Meyer, CEO Apotekarsocieteten
Måns Holmberg, President Astronomisk Ungdom
Karolina Kjellberg, CEO bNosy
Mats Viberg, Rector BTH, Blekinge Institute of Technology
Ulrika Årehed Kågström, Secretary General Cancerfonden
Stefan Bengtsson, President and CEO Chalmers
Roberto Rufo Gonzalez, Project Manager Consupedia
Christina Liffner, President Endometriosis Association, Sweden
Cecilia Palm, Secretary General Folkuniversitetet
Anna Nilsson Vindefjärd, Secretary General Forska!Sweden
Robert Watt, Chairman Forskom
Cecilia Winberg, Vice Chairman Fysioterapeuterna
Eva Wiberg, Rector University of Gothenburg
Kristina Sparreljung, Secretary General Hjärt-Lungfonden
Jenny Larsson, Executive Director Humtank
Marie-Hélène Ahnborg, CEO Ifous
Magnus Huss, Director of IKEM - Innovation and Chemical Industries
Jennie Turner, Director of the International Science Festival Gothenburg
Bo-Erik Pers, CEO Jernkontoret
Sofia Larsen, Chairman Jusek
Ole Petter Ottersen, Rector Karolinska Institutet
Sigbritt Karlsson, Rector KTH
Tuula Teeri, CEO Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences Ingenjörsvetenskapsakademien
Eva Pettersson, CEO Kungl. Skogs- och Lantbruksakademien
Göran K. Hansson, Permanent Secretary Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Vetenskapsakademien
Anders Blanck, CEO LIF - the research-based pharmaceutical companies
Bodil Nilsson, Chairman LMNT, Föreningen för Lärarna i Matematik, Naturvetenskap och Teknik
Johanna Jaara Åstrand, Chairman Lärarförbundet
Åsa Fahlén, Chairman Lärarnas Riksförbund
Kerstin Tham, Vice-Chancellor Malmö University
Åke Iverfeldt, CEO Mistra
Anders Fällström, Vice-Chancellor Mid Sweden University
Britt-Marie Lidesten, Director of the National Resource Center for Biology and Biotechnology
Ann-Marie Pendrill, Director of the National Resource Center for Physics
Ivar de la Cruz, Chairman of Naturvetarna
Anna Sjöström Douagi, Head of Program at the Nobel Center
Thomas Strand, Chairman of Rifo, the Society of Members of Parliament and Researchers
Jenny Björkman, Head of Communications at Riksdagens Jubileumsfond
Göran Arrius, Chairman of Saco
Louise Karlberg, Head of SEI, Stockholm Environment Institute
Mats Deleryd, CEO SIQ, Institute for Quality Development
Lars Hultman, CEO Stiftelsen för Strategisk Forskning
David Samuelsson, Secretary General Studieförbunden
Jens Mattsson, Director General SVA, National Veterinary Institute
Karin Linder, Secretary General Swedish Library Association
Anne-Sofie Mårtensson, President, Swedish Society of Physics
Christine Sundberg Carendi, CEO Swedish Science Centers
Kristina Billberg, Chair of the Swedish Association of Pharmacists
Ulrika Lindstrand, Chair of the Swedish Society of Engineers
Maria Tenje, Chair of the Young Academy of Sweden
Mats Ericson, Chair of SULF, the Swedish Association of University Teachers and Researchers
Gustav Amberg, Rector of Södertörn University
Samuel Engblom, Head of Social Policy at TCO
Peter Skogh, Director of the National Museum of Science and Technology
Elin Lydahl, CEO of Tom Tits Experiment
Jennie Ekbeck, CEO of Umeå Biotech Incubator