Epistemic Governance in the Context of Crisis: A Complexity-informed Approach

Abstract

This article examines the concept of epistemic governance during crises, a situation that presents simultaneous challenges of information scarcity and overload. Epistemic governance refers to the processes shaping collective perceptions and influencing the understanding of a situation. The research employs a complexity thinking approach, focusing on the interdependency of phenomena, actors, and events, which resists reductionism and linear thinking. It illustrates how epistemic governance—comprising self-organization, diversity, trust, feedback loops, attractor, and agency—operates in crises. The study advances a novel approach to epistemic governance in crises, promoting effective decision-making and embracing complexity-informed research.