‘Democratising’ expertise, ‘expertising’ democracy: What does this mean, and why bother?

What is the role of participatory processes in decision-making related to science and technology and in any other area where knowledge and expert advice play an important role? Can expert advice to policy makers be more transparent and accountable? This introduction discusses these and other connected questions under the provocative label of ‘democratising expertise’. It highlights and explores the variety of linkages between governance and knowledge that are presented by the authors of this special issue. The result is a complex landscape of still unresolved issues of coexistence and conflict. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.