Scientific research is composed of several fundamental elements. Without these core steps, the results of any experiment should be considered questionable, if not outright invalid. These elements include making observations, forming a hypothesis, designing and conducting experiments, documenting the results, and sharing all the data so that the work can be peer-reviewed and replicated.

The final element, sharing the data so that the experiment can be reviewed and replicated by other scientists, is at the heart of a final Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule to increase the transparency requirements of dose-response regulation. In essence, the Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science rule limits the scientific studies the EPA can use to guide regulations, “restricting the use of research that can’t be reproduced or is based on underlying data that isn’t public,” per Bloomberg. It focuses on research that analyzes “the quantitative relationship between the amount of dose or exposure to a pollutant, contaminant, or substance and an effect.”

President-Elect Biden has made it clear that his incoming administration is dedicated to following and listening to science—and indeed, as cabinet appointments are announced, it is clear that the 46th president is preparing to be quite active on environmental and scientific policy. While some critics may urge the president to reverse the transparency rule, my advice is to embrace it.

Read the full article at Real Clear Science.