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Ah! Didn’t know this is online already! So, what’s it about? And what prompted it? 1/15
"Four Common Problems In Environmental Social Research Undertaken by Natural Scientists"
#EnvSocSci
(BTW, wish I had $$ for #OA; you can DM/email me for a copy.) https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz128
"Four Common Problems In Environmental Social Research Undertaken by Natural Scientists"
#EnvSocSci
(BTW, wish I had $$ for #OA; you can DM/email me for a copy.) https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz128
This article is a call for us ALL to improve the quality of #socialresearch that informs #environmental decisions and policies. And to open discussions about the importance of adhering to #socialscientific methods & standards. 2/15
Why did I write this? NOT to attack #natural #scientists! An editor of another journal suggested I modify a review that detailed WHY a study was fundamentally flawed. He suggested BioScience because he thinks it is important to raise the issues with natural scientists. 3/15
There has been a long history of #natural scientists doing, publishing & reviewing #socialresearch (e.g. social surveys), and #socialscientists have grumbled about this for decades. We don’t really mind, as long as the research is done well. Unfortunately, it often isn’t. 4/15
I’m not saying my research, or that of my trained social science colleagues, is perfect. Like any #scientists, we are all learning & improving methods! But there are basic mistakes being made by researchers who are unqualified to do social studies. Why does this matter? … 5/15
Doing quality #environmental #socialscience matters because *substandard work may be hindering our ability to understand and respond effectively to some of the most serious environmental issues we are now facing.* 6/15
Strong criticism of #natural #scientists who do #social research (without adequate training & experience) is not helpful on its own. So this article uses examples from reviews, collaborations etc. (without naming and shaming) to highlight where things typically go wrong. 7/15
There are four broad areas in which problems arise for #natural #scientists who do not have the expertise to conduct quality #social #science… 8/15
Problem 1. Oversight of the literature. E.g. a #behaviorchange study that did not refer to any of ~100 yrs of behavioral research. Lit review is crucial, but some #naturalscientists are unaware of vast bodies of #socialscience - perhaps because, for them, it’s #notmyfield?? 9/15
Problem 2. Inexperience with social scientific methods. A classic e.g. is #quantitative #surveys, where question development, wording, testing, documentation, & fieldwork are often poor. Methods are easily the greatest weak spot for #naturalscientists doing #socialscience. 10/15
Problem 3. Lack of training in analytical methods. E.g. using a scale (e.g. 1–5, agree-disagree), then some #naturalscientists collapse it 
a binary response, losing valuable info. Scales are a key tool in #quant #socialscience; if you use them, know what to do with them. 11/15
a binary response, losing valuable info. Scales are a key tool in #quant #socialscience; if you use them, know what to do with them. 11/15
Problem 4. Inadequate reporting of results. E.g. #naturalscientists often fail to describe the study population adequately. The APA Style Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS; https://www.apastyle.org/jars/ ) is a great guide, whichever #socialscience methods you use! 12/15
I hope this article helps #natural #scientists to realize the value in #collaborating with researchers who have training and experience in the #environmental #socialsciences (from the outset!). We can be so much more effective, TOGETHER. 13/15
And to my #environmental #socialscience colleagues, I hope this article gives you something to point to when you are reviewing problematic work by scientists from other fields. I feel I repeat myself so often, and am hoping this article will reduce the length of my reviews! 14/15
A HUGE THANKS to @socialseas, @AngelaSocSci and many other #envionmental #socialscientists on Twitter for shaping my thoughts about these issues. I look forward to seeing continued improvement in our field. 15/15
Four Common Problems In Environmental Social Research Undertaken by Natural Scientists
- BioScience article now also available by request on ResearchGate
@ConSocSci @MarSocSci @NESS_aus #environment #socialscience https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz128
- BioScience article now also available by request on ResearchGate
@ConSocSci @MarSocSci @NESS_aus #environment #socialscience https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz128
And here's where you can request the article on ResearchGate...
Four Common Problems in Environmental Social Research Undertaken by Natural Scientists https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337632609_Four_Common_Problems_In_Environmental_Social_Research_Undertaken_by_Natural_Scientists
Four Common Problems in Environmental Social Research Undertaken by Natural Scientists https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337632609_Four_Common_Problems_In_Environmental_Social_Research_Undertaken_by_Natural_Scientists
