FAccT policy impact debate says weak uptake does not prove weak research

o_saja · x · 2026-07-23

The post argues that failing to achieve policy impact is not necessarily evidence that the underlying research was weak. It says there can be many reasons a piece of work does not land in policy, including timing, surrounding circumstances, and whether the work engaged the relevant prior literature.

The core point is that blaming the FAccT community’s research for not changing policy “misplaces responsibility.” In this view, lack of impact should not automatically be treated as an indictment of the research itself.

Related event: FAccT Policy Impact Debate: No Landing Doesn't Mean Failure(2 posts)→

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