Nature Communications (Dec 2020)
Quantifying and addressing the prevalence and bias of study designs in the environmental and social sciences
- Alec P. Christie,
- David Abecasis,
- Mehdi Adjeroud,
- Juan C. Alonso,
- Tatsuya Amano,
- Alvaro Anton,
- Barry P. Baldigo,
- Rafael Barrientos,
- Jake E. Bicknell,
- Deborah A. Buhl,
- Just Cebrian,
- Ricardo S. Ceia,
- Luciana Cibils-Martina,
- Sarah Clarke,
- Joachim Claudet,
- Michael D. Craig,
- Dominique Davoult,
- Annelies De Backer,
- Mary K. Donovan,
- Tyler D. Eddy,
- Filipe M. França,
- Jonathan P. A. Gardner,
- Bradley P. Harris,
- Ari Huusko,
- Ian L. Jones,
- Brendan P. Kelaher,
- Janne S. Kotiaho,
- Adrià López-Baucells,
- Heather L. Major,
- Aki Mäki-Petäys,
- Beatriz Martín,
- Carlos A. Martín,
- Philip A. Martin,
- Daniel Mateos-Molina,
- Robert A. McConnaughey,
- Michele Meroni,
- Christoph F. J. Meyer,
- Kade Mills,
- Monica Montefalcone,
- Norbertas Noreika,
- Carlos Palacín,
- Anjali Pande,
- C. Roland Pitcher,
- Carlos Ponce,
- Matt Rinella,
- Ricardo Rocha,
- María C. Ruiz-Delgado,
- Juan J. Schmitter-Soto,
- Jill A. Shaffer,
- Shailesh Sharma,
- Anna A. Sher,
- Doriane Stagnol,
- Thomas R. Stanley,
- Kevin D. E. Stokesbury,
- Aurora Torres,
- Oliver Tully,
- Teppo Vehanen,
- Corinne Watts,
- Qingyuan Zhao,
- William J. Sutherland
Affiliations
- Alec P. Christie
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building
- David Abecasis
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMar), Universidade do Algarve
- Mehdi Adjeroud
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR 9220 ENTROPIE & Laboratoire d’Excellence CORAIL, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia
- Juan C. Alonso
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC
- Tatsuya Amano
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland
- Alvaro Anton
- Education Faculty of Bilbao, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). Sarriena z/g E-48940 Leioa
- Barry P. Baldigo
- U.S. Geological Survey, New York Water Science Center
- Rafael Barrientos
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Departamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas
- Jake E. Bicknell
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent
- Deborah A. Buhl
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
- Just Cebrian
- Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University, 1021 Balch Blvd, John C. Stennis Space Center
- Ricardo S. Ceia
- MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Dept. Life Sciences, University of Coimbra
- Luciana Cibils-Martina
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto (UNRC)
- Sarah Clarke
- Marine Institute, Rinville, Oranmore
- Joachim Claudet
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison des Océans
- Michael D. Craig
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia
- Dominique Davoult
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique
- Annelies De Backer
- Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO)
- Mary K. Donovan
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara
- Tyler D. Eddy
- Baruch Institute for Marine & Coastal Sciences, University of South Carolina
- Filipe M. França
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University
- Jonathan P. A. Gardner
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington
- Bradley P. Harris
- Fisheries, Aquatic Science and Technology Laboratory, Alaska Pacific University
- Ari Huusko
- Natural Resources Institute Finland
- Ian L. Jones
- Department of Biology, Memorial University
- Brendan P. Kelaher
- National Marine Science Centre and Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University
- Janne S. Kotiaho
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä
- Adrià López-Baucells
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes – cE3c, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon
- Heather L. Major
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Brunswick
- Aki Mäki-Petäys
- Voimalohi Oy
- Beatriz Martín
- Fundación Migres CIMA Ctra
- Carlos A. Martín
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Departamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas
- Philip A. Martin
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building
- Daniel Mateos-Molina
- Departamento de Ecología e Hidrología, Universidad de Murcia
- Robert A. McConnaughey
- RACE Division, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way NE
- Michele Meroni
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)
- Christoph F. J. Meyer
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes – cE3c, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon
- Kade Mills
- Victorian National Park Association
- Monica Montefalcone
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DiSTAV), University of Genoa
- Norbertas Noreika
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Carlos Palacín
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC
- Anjali Pande
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington
- C. Roland Pitcher
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Queensland Biosciences Precinct
- Carlos Ponce
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC
- Matt Rinella
- Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory
- Ricardo Rocha
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes – cE3c, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon
- María C. Ruiz-Delgado
- Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide
- Juan J. Schmitter-Soto
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur
- Jill A. Shaffer
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
- Shailesh Sharma
- Division of Fish and Wildlife, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
- Anna A. Sher
- University of Denver Department of Biological Sciences
- Doriane Stagnol
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique
- Thomas R. Stanley
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center
- Kevin D. E. Stokesbury
- School for Marine Science and Technology, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
- Aurora Torres
- Georges Lemaître Earth and Climate Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain
- Oliver Tully
- Marine Institute, Rinville, Oranmore
- Teppo Vehanen
- Natural Resources Institute Finland
- Corinne Watts
- Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research
- Qingyuan Zhao
- Statistical Laboratory, Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics, University of Cambridge
- William J. Sutherland
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20142-y
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 11,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 11
Abstract
Randomised controlled experiments are the gold standard for scientific inference, but environmental and social scientists often rely on different study designs. Here the authors analyse the use of six common study designs in the fields of biodiversity conservation and social intervention, and quantify the biases in their estimates.
