Credibly constructing risk comparisons

This paper briefly recounts the experience of the New Jersey Comparative Risk Project in order to illustrate the role played by insights from the science and technology studies literature in the project's design. It shows that a project's adequacy and legitimacy can be enhanced by treating the potential contributions of experts, officials, stakeholders, and the public respectfully, and by building in much interaction among these groups. It also reveals a costly tradeoff between heightened interactions and participant fatigue.