ABSTRACT
The common discourse casts expertise in individual terms, owing in part to the classical sociology of intellectuals, which many see as the predecessor to the study of experts and expertise. The influx of experts into the realm of international relations follows a broader trend of growing reliance on expertise in society at large. The trends have prompted a number of calls for a "sociology of expertise". In particular, the question of what constitutes an expert has received a great deal of attention in the literature. With this understanding of how expertise can affect policy, it is necessary to understand the relationship between the expertise of different actors in security and international affairs policymaking before espousing a particular view on security expertise. As debate on nature of the academy, policymaking, and potential gaps between the two continues, enquiry on the role of the academy and the changing context in which ideas and expertise are created and disseminated has also emerged.
