Environmental sciences benefit from robust evidence irrespective of speed

Dominique G Roche; Joseph R Bennett; Jennifer Provencher; Trina Rytwinski; Neal R Haddaway; Steven J Cooke

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134000

Environmental sciences benefit from robust evidence irrespective of speed

Sci Total Environ. 2019 Dec 15:696:134000. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134000. Epub 2019 Aug 19.

Authors

Dominique G Roche¹, Joseph R Bennett², Jennifer Provencher³, Trina Rytwinski², Neal R Haddaway⁴, Steven J Cooke²

Affiliations

¹ Canadian Centre for Evidence-Based Conservation, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada. Electronic address: dominique.roche@mail.mcgill.ca.
² Canadian Centre for Evidence-Based Conservation, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
³ Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Gatineau, QC, Canada.
⁴ Stockholm Environment Institute, Stockholm, Sweden; Africa Centre for Evidence, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.

PMID: 31465915
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134000

Abstract

Discussions around the "slow science movement" abound in environmental sciences, yet they are generally counterproductive. Researchers must focus on producing robust and transparent knowledge, regardless of speed. Slow versus fast science is irrelevant - what we need is reproducible research to support evidence-based decision making and tackle urgent and costly environmental problems.

Keywords: Conservation; Open science; Policy; Reproducibility; Slow science movement.