Search for: All records

This study uses survey data to explore ecologists’ willingness to prioritize the behavioral goal of considering local community members’ perspectives in the context of research at Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites. It finds that believing in the benefits of such listening is a relatively strong statistical predictor of expressing a willingness to prioritize listening. Neither normative beliefs nor agency beliefs were strong correlates of prioritizing listening. Women and younger scientists were more willing to prioritize listening as a goal. The study builds on the “strategic science communication as planned behavior” approach to try to better understand scientists’ communication choices. 

Abstract This manuscript shares the lessons learned from providing scientific computing support to over 600 researchers and discipline experts, helping them develop reproducible and scalable analytical workflows to process large amounts of heterogeneous data.When providing scientific computing support, focus is first placed on how to foster the collaborative aspects of multidisciplinary projects on the technological side by providing virtual spaces to communicate and share documents. Then insights on data management planning and how to implement a centralized data management workflow for data‐driven projects are provided.Developing reproducible workflows requires the development of code. We describe tools and practices that have been successful in fostering collaborative coding and scaling on remote servers, enabling teams to iterate more efficiently. We have found short training sessions combined with on‐demand specialized support to be the most impactful combination in helping scientists develop their technical skills.Here we share our experiences in enabling researchers to do science more collaboratively and more reproducibly beyond any specific project, with long‐lasting effects on the way researchers conduct science. We hope that other groups supporting team‐ and data‐driven science (in environmental science and beyond) will benefit from the lessons we have learned over the years through trial and error. 

Abstract Synthesis research in ecology and environmental science improves understanding, advances theory, identifies research priorities, and supports management strategies by linking data, ideas, and tools. Accelerating environmental challenges increases the need to focus synthesis science on the most pressing questions. To leverage input from the broader research community, we convened a virtual workshop with participants from many countries and disciplines to examine how and where synthesis can address key questions and themes in ecology and environmental science in the coming decade. Seven priority research topics emerged: (1) diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ), (2) human and natural systems, (3) actionable and use‐inspired science, (4) scale, (5) generality, (6) complexity and resilience, and (7) predictability. Additionally, two issues regarding the general practice of synthesis emerged: the need for increased participant diversity and inclusive research practices; and increased and improved data flow, access, and skill‐building. These topics and practices provide a strategic vision for future synthesis in ecology and environmental science.