Bad Science Watch is a wholly independent organisation and is committed only to defending science in public policy and the media. Any apparent vested interests by executives, officers, advisors or advocates are thoroughly investigated prior to the approval as a volunteer or representative of Bad Science Watch to ensure the organisation does not even appear to be speaking for third-party interests. If it appears that a potential conflict of interest has been missed, please do not hesitate to inform us.
Bad Science Watch maintains no affiliations with any other organizations. While individual volunteers with Bad Science Watch may be involved with other political, activist, or community groups, all applying volunteers are carefully vetted to ensure no conflict of interest exists.
Sound science refers to a consensus of experts and a weight of evidence accumulated over time using the best practices of the scientific method, particularly high quality, peer-reviewed and replicated tests.
Bad science comes in the form of the media’s frequent misreporting and exaggeration of the results of scientific studies; laws and regulations being devised based on selective interpretation of data; and even plain fabrication and fraud in advertising and industry.
Bad science (sometimes called “pseudoscience”) also describes claims that are made using scientific jargon or presented as being scientific, but in reality lack support and plausibility or are untestable.
Bad Science Watch currently obtains its funding in the form of private donations made by members of the public who support our work and goals. Donations from the public sector, non-profit foundations, and corporations may also be accepted where they do not represent a conflict of interest. Any such donors will be listed publicly on our website.
All donations are used to support our activism and research projects, and to pay for ongoing operational costs. Operational costs include organisational tools such as project management, communications, and fundraising software, and business expenses such as insurance, accounting and mailing costs.
Bad Science Watch is developing both 5- and 10-year growth plans that include the hiring of an Executive Director, a Director of Communications and a Director of Development in the medium term, and individual project facilitators in the long term. We are committed to becoming the preeminent force in Canada for countering bad science and preventing the exploitation of Canadians, with an emphasis on stability and professionalism.
Bad Science Watch is a federally incorporated non-profit corporation under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act. We are subject to all Canadian tax laws affecting non-profit corporations.
Unfortunately, no. Bad Science Watch is a non-profit corporation, not a charity, and therefore we cannot issue tax receipts for donations.
Bad Science Watch is not seeking to become a charity as that would be preclude us from focusing our resources on activism and political work. Under Canadian law, a charity may only use up to 10% of its resources for activities that the Canada Revenue Agency considers political.