Scientists in power plays: How substantive were scientists' narratives during the COVID‐19 pandemic?

Scientists who provide expert advice must engage with policy processes. Little is known about whether and how scientists deal with the political dynamics of policy processes that are inherent to policymaking. We study this question by building on the policy dimension concept within the Narrative Policy Framework. The concept allows us to analyze whether and why scientists' narratives relate to policymaking processes rather than to policy substance. Communication of Swiss scientists during the COVID‐19 pandemic is studied through a combination of quantitative analysis of scientists' quotes from media articles and qualitative analysis of their process narratives and in‐depth interviews. The results show that most scientists communicate about policy substance, while some narratives address policy processes and power struggles within them. The media analysis shows that scientists with a health‐related research background use significantly fewer process narratives than other scientists. Moreover, members of advisory bodies use fewer process narratives, but this effect is driven by the high representation of health‐related expertise. The analysis did not find a significant effect of indicators and attention to science on the use of process narratives. Interviews illustrate why scientists engage in policy processes through the media.