pt. 1. Introduction and conclusion -- pt. 2. Science and precaution in regulatory decision-making -- pt. 3. Regulatory practice : pharmaceuticals, nanotechnology and climate change -- pt. 4. Role of courts -- pt. 5. Role of stakeholders.

1. Researching policy-oriented foresight in action -- 2. First impressions of foresight practice -- 3. Dealing with policy -- 4. Practising the scenario matrix -- 5. Dealing with prospective uncertainty -- 6. The past, the present and the future -- 7. Reflection on action.

Assessing the future is vital in informing public policy decisions. One of the most widespread approaches is the development of scenarios, which are alternative hypothetical futures. Research has indicated, however, that the reality of how professionals go about employing scenarios is often...

Many studies on patient safety are geared towards prevention of adverse events by eliminating causes of error. In this article, I argue that patient safety research needs to widen its analytical scope and include causes of strength as well. This change of focus enables me to ask other questions,...