Reflections on Research Risk Science and Risk Science

ABSTRACT Explicit references to a distinct field or discipline of risk appeared about 40–50 years ago, but it is only recently that the term “risk science” has been commonly used. To many scholars working with practical risk and safety issues, the risk field has been considered a rather narrow field and school of thought, mainly focusing on risk assessments and numbers. The scope of contemporary risk science is, however, wide, covering knowledge on all aspects of risk, including assessment, perception, communication, and management of risk. Work has been conducted to clarify and delineate the scope, distinguishing between generic (fundamental) and applied risk science, yet many questions remain to be discussed, particularly on the types of perspectives and methodologies that are covered and on issues related to the interrelationships with other fields and sciences. The present article aims at providing new insights on such questions by highlighting the difference between research in risk science and research on risk science. The former type refers to research activities that are explicitly conducted within the field of risk science by people who are considered risk researchers . The latter type of research concerns the development of knowledge on the intersection between risk science and other sciences, including reflexive research that enables translation and circulation of knowledge between the inside and the outside of risk science. The article can be read as a journey through viewpoints and arguments—an explorative rather than a concluding one—the journey in itself being just as important as its final destination.