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Defining and using evidence in conservation practice

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Defining and using evidence in conservation practice. / Salafsky, Nick; Boshoven, Judith; Burivalova, Zuzana et al.
In: Conservation Science and Practice, Vol. 1, No. 5, 05.2019, p. e27.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

HarvardHarvard

Salafsky, N, Boshoven, J, Burivalova, Z, Dubois, NS, Gomez, A, Johnson, A, Lee, A, Margoluis, R, Morrison, J, Muir, M, Pratt, SC, Pullin, AS, Salzer, D, Stewart, A, Sutherland, WJ & Wordley, CFR 2019, 'Defining and using evidence in conservation practice', Conservation Science and Practice, vol. 1, no. 5, pp. e27. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.27

APA

Salafsky, N., Boshoven, J., Burivalova, Z., Dubois, N. S., Gomez, A., Johnson, A., Lee, A., Margoluis, R., Morrison, J., Muir, M., Pratt, S. C., Pullin, A. S., Salzer, D., Stewart, A., Sutherland, W. J., & Wordley, C. F. R. (2019). Defining and using evidence in conservation practice. Conservation Science and Practice, 1(5), e27. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.27

CBE

Salafsky N, Boshoven J, Burivalova Z, Dubois NS, Gomez A, Johnson A, Lee A, Margoluis R, Morrison J, Muir M, et al. 2019. Defining and using evidence in conservation practice. Conservation Science and Practice. 1(5):e27. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.27

MLA

Salafsky, Nick et al. "Defining and using evidence in conservation practice". Conservation Science and Practice. 2019, 1(5). e27. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.27

VancouverVancouver

Salafsky N, Boshoven J, Burivalova Z, Dubois NS, Gomez A, Johnson A et al. Defining and using evidence in conservation practice. Conservation Science and Practice. 2019 May;1(5):e27. Epub 2019 Apr 9. doi: 10.1111/csp2.27

Author

Salafsky, Nick ; Boshoven, Judith ; Burivalova, Zuzana et al. / Defining and using evidence in conservation practice. In: Conservation Science and Practice. 2019 ; Vol. 1, No. 5. pp. e27.

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Defining and using evidence in conservation practice

AU - Salafsky, Nick

AU - Boshoven, Judith

AU - Burivalova, Zuzana

AU - Dubois, Natalie S.

AU - Gomez, Andres

AU - Johnson, Arlyne

AU - Lee, Aileen

AU - Margoluis, Richard

AU - Morrison, John

AU - Muir, Matthew

AU - Pratt, Stephen C.

AU - Pullin, Andrew S.

AU - Salzer, Daniel

AU - Stewart, Annette

AU - Sutherland, William J.

AU - Wordley, Claire F. R.

PY - 2019/5

Y1 - 2019/5

N2 - There is growing interest in evidence-based conservation, yet there are no widely accepted standard definitions of evidence, let alone guidance on how to use it in the context of conservation and natural resource management practice. In this paper, we first draw on insights of evidence-based practice from different disciplines to define evidence as being the “relevant information used to assess one or more hypotheses related to a question of interest.” We then construct a typology of different kinds of information, hypotheses, and evidence and show how these different types can be used in different steps of conservation practice. In particular, we distinguish between specific evidence used to assess project hypotheses and generic evidence used to assess generic hypotheses. We next build on this typology to develop a decision tree to support practitioners in how to appropriately use available specific and generic evidence in a given conservation situation. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of how to better promote and enable evidence-based conservation in both projects and across the discipline of conservation. Our hope is that by understanding and using evidence better, conservation can both become more effective and attract increased support from society.

AB - There is growing interest in evidence-based conservation, yet there are no widely accepted standard definitions of evidence, let alone guidance on how to use it in the context of conservation and natural resource management practice. In this paper, we first draw on insights of evidence-based practice from different disciplines to define evidence as being the “relevant information used to assess one or more hypotheses related to a question of interest.” We then construct a typology of different kinds of information, hypotheses, and evidence and show how these different types can be used in different steps of conservation practice. In particular, we distinguish between specific evidence used to assess project hypotheses and generic evidence used to assess generic hypotheses. We next build on this typology to develop a decision tree to support practitioners in how to appropriately use available specific and generic evidence in a given conservation situation. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of how to better promote and enable evidence-based conservation in both projects and across the discipline of conservation. Our hope is that by understanding and using evidence better, conservation can both become more effective and attract increased support from society.

KW - adaptive management, biodiversity, environmental evidence, evidence-based conservation, evidence-based practice, natural resource management, project management

U2 - 10.1111/csp2.27

DO - 10.1111/csp2.27

M3 - Article

VL - 1

SP - e27

JO - Conservation Science and Practice

JF - Conservation Science and Practice

SN - 2578-4854

IS - 5

ER -