Perceived and observed biases within scientific communities: a case study in movement ecology

Autor(en): Allison K. Shaw, Leila Fouda, Stefano Mezzini, Dongmin Kim, Nilanjan Chatterjee, David Wolfson, Briana Abrahms, Nina Attias, Christine E. Beardsworth, Roxanne Beltran, Sandra A. Binning, Kayla M. Blincow, Ying-Chi Chan, Emanuel A. Fronhofer, Arne Hegemann, Edward R. Hurme, Fabiola Iannarilli, Julie B. Kellner, Karen D. McCoy, Kasim Rafiq, Marjo Saastamoinen, Ana M. M. Sequeira, Mitchell W. Serota, Petra Sumasgutner, Yun Tao, Martha Torstenson, Scott W. Yanco, Kristina B. Beck, Michael G. Bertram, Larissa T. Beumer, Maja Bradaric, Jeanne Clermont, Diego Ellis-Soto, Monika Faltusova, John Fieberg, Richard J. Hall, Andrea Kolzsch, Sandra Lai, Larisa Lee-Cruz, Matthias-Claudio Loretto, Alexandra Loveridge, Marcus Michelangeli, Thomas Mueller, Louise Riotte-Lambert, Nir Sapir, Martina Scacco, Claire S. Teitelbaum, Francesca Cagnacci
Abstrakt: Who conducts biological research, where, and how the results are disseminated varies among geographies and identities. Identifying and documenting these forms of bias by research communities is a critical first step towards addressing them. We documented perceived and observed biases in movement ecology. Movement ecology is a rapidly expanding sub-discipline of biology, which is strongly underpinned by fieldwork and technology use. First, we surveyed attendees of an international conference, and discussed the results at the conference (comparing uninformed vs informed perceived bias). Although most researchers identified as bias-aware, only a subset of biases were discussed in conversation. Next, by considering author affiliations from publications in the journal Movement Ecology, we found among-country discrepancies between the country of the authors' affiliation and study site location related to national economics. At the within-country scale, we found that race-gender identities of postgraduate biology researchers in the USA differed from national demographics. We discuss the role of potential specific causes for the emergence of bias in the sub-discipline, e.g. parachute-science or accessibility to fieldwork. Undertaking data-driven analysis of bias within research sub-disciplines can help identify specific barriers and first steps towards the inclusion of a greater diversity of participants in the scientific process.
Organisation(en): Department für Verhaltens- und Kognitionsbiologie, Core Facility KLF für Verhaltens- und Kognitionsbiologie
Externe Organisation(en): University of Minnesota, St.Paul, University of New Brunswick (UNB), Yale University, University of British Columbia (UBC), University of Washington, Institute for Wildlife Conservation, University of Liverpool, University of California, Santa Cruz, Université de Montréal, University of the Virgin Islands, Schweizerische Vogelwarte Sempach, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Montpellier, Max-Planck-Institut für Verhaltensbiologie, Lund University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Université de Montpellier, University of Helsinki, Australian National University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Georgia, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, University of Michigan, Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), University of Amsterdam (UvA), University of Sherbrooke, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, University of Oxford, CIRAD, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), CNRS-UMR 5175, University of Haifa, NASA Ames Research Center, Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, Fondazione Edmund Mach di San Michele all'Adige, National Biodiversity Future Center
Publikationsdatum: 08-2024
ÖFOS 2012: 603103 Ethik, 106051 Verhaltensbiologie
Link zum Portal: https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/66065032-fd74-4288-9f65-f87bd059b69d