2. Differing attitudes:
1. The ‘policy pusher’
– Paper driven by policy implications.
2. The ‘passive policy implication’
– Research first, with potential policy
implications.
3. The ‘not my cup of tea’
– Comfortable only reporting research.
Should policy implications be important
when publishing research?
Adapted from http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/
3. Should, when, and how scientists
communicate policy?
Who does it/should do it?
When should it be done?
What venues?
5. Scientists bear some of the responsibility
Why?
1. They have unique insights into the topic.
2. It’s their research, they can best represent it.
3. They are funded by public money.
When?
1. With the research (in the publication)
2. After –with other venues
6. Scientists bear some of the responsibility
Why?
1. They have unique insights into the topic.
2. Its their research, they can best represent it.
3. They are funded by public money.
When?
1. With the research (in the publication)
2. After –with other venues
7. • Find the right audience: who needs to read your
paper?
• Find the right reviewers: make sure that it is reviewed
by the most suitable people
• If you submit to the most appropriate journal, the
process of review and publication will be as fast as
possible with the best chance of success
• The important question to ask yourself: Will the
relevant policy people see this paper?
Why is it important to choose the right
journal?
8. British Ecological Society
Vision: A world inspired, informed and influenced by ecology.
To help us achieve this, our goals are to:
• Communicate world-leading ecological science
• Generate, synthesise and exchange ecological
knowledge
• Share the excitement and relevance of ecology
• Inspire, engage and recognise talent
• Build a sustainable, resilient and efficient society
9. BES Journals
• Publishing ecological research for 100 years
• Cover a wide range of ecological research
• International publishing partner – Wiley-Blackwell
• Effective peer review and fast turnaround times
• Internationally renowned editorial boards
• High Impact Factors > 4.5
• Offer open access options
• International readership
1912 1987 201019641932
10. BES Journals
Access
• Millions full text downloads in 2015
• International readership
• Access for >3,000 developing
country institutions
11. BES Journals online
• Articles hosted on Wiley Online Library
• Dedicated journal home pages
• Active social media channels
– YouTube >45,000 views
– Twitter >6,000 followers
– Facebook > 4,300 like us
– Google+ >6,000 followers
– Podcasts played >20,000 times
– Variety of popular RSS feeds
12. Journal of Applied Ecology publishes novel, high-impact papers on the
interface between ecological science and the management of
biological resources. The editors encourage contributions that use
applied ecological problems to test and develop basic theory, although
there must be clear potential for impact on the management of the
environment. The journal accepts papers with a methodological focus
where there is a very high potential to contribute to ecosystem
management or applied science. The journal includes all major themes
in applied ecology, such as conservation biology, global change,
environmental pollution, wildlife and habitat management, land use
and management, aquatic resources, restoration ecology, and the
management of pests, weeds and disease. Articles that interact with
related fields are welcomed providing that their relevance to applied
ecology is clear.
13. How to measure the Journal’s impact?
-Journal IF = 4.56 (4/5 BES journals)
Journal
Numberoftextdownloads
0e+002e+054e+056e+058e+05
4.04.55.05.56.0
ISIImpactFactor
14. Policy has become a more important component
of our papers.
10
20
30
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Year
Percentpaperswith'policy'
15. What do we mean by ‘policy’
Any action taken by any
level of government.
16. What do we mean by ‘policy’
Affecting policy means
altering government
action through:
1. Laws
2. Court rulings
3. Departmental
directives
4. Agency rules
5. Enforcement strategy
17. Before doing the research?
• You have a good idea and plan your research around the paper
• Before writing you anticipate the results
When doing the research?
• The research yields unexpected results?
After doing the research?
• Project is finished and data are analysed
When should researchers think about the
policy implications/recommendations?
18. Creating policy relevant research
1. Planning and execution.
2. Writing clearly and effectively.
3. Post-publication communication.
19.
20. 1) Planning and execution
• First and foremost –make sure the science is
sound.
• Hypotheses need to be well-placed within the
current literature.
• Design needs to take into account of the most
recent methodological norms.
21. 1) Planning and execution
• Applied ecology research should be planned with
direct policy or management relevance (i.e., not
as an afterthought).
• Talk to managers and policy groups, and include
them in the design. Understand their science or
information needs.
• Talk to politicians!
22. 2) Writing clearly and effectively
• Papers need to be technical and precise.
• They need to be clear and concise –simple is
good.
• Title should be short and informative. Often, it
is not necessary to include location name.
• Abstract –what most people read. Need to
communicate key message (hypotheses and
results). Applied relevance is important.
23. 3) Post publication communication
• Publication of paper should not be the end of
the process.
• What is the purpose of applied research –to
influence policy and management actions, and
these people do not regularly read the
literature.
• Need to reach those who will benefit from the
research.
24. 3) Post publication communication
• Send paper to groups (NGOs, Government
scientists).
• Give talks to groups or public.
• Do media interviews.
• Organize meetings or working groups on the
topic and invite practitioners.
• Use Journals’ social media networks.
25. Creating globally relevant research in
ecology, conservation and applied ecology
1. Planning and execution.
2. Writing clearly and effectively.
3. Post-publication communication.
28. Know your problem: What are the policy
implications of your evidence?
E.g. Hunting offtakes are unsustainable, fencing cuts
wildlife migratory pathways
Think carefully about
what your evidence
shows and what aspects
of policy may need to
change
29. What is the scale?
Local-National-Regional-International
• Local/National – more likely to be binding but
restricted reach
• International – wider reach – but may have less
impact if policy is not legally binding – e.g. CBD,
CITES, CMS etc.
• Regional – somewhere between the two –
depending on policy – e.g. EU can have very strong
regional impact, whereas in agreements like SADC,
only agreed protocols are binding
• Or a combination?
30. Which policy?
• What are the potentially relevant policy
instruments?
• What are the ones likely to have the strongest
impact?
• Which are most practical for what you want to
achieve?
31. Seek advice:
• Policy is complex, and there may be a network
of competing interests that you need to be
aware of
• Where you lack experience, talk to someone
who has experience
• Guard your scientific reputation to avoid
perceptions of bias
32. What is the route to impact policy?
• Who advises and who makes decisions under
your chosen policy instrument?
• Who focuses on the area relating to your
research?
• Who will you work with and how will you
engage with them? Directly? Organisationally?
33. Policy impacts overseas
• Be aware of different perspectives
• Decision makers are time-stretched - distil evidence
into accessible and policy relevant formats
• Seek a scientific consensus on the evidence
• Build relationships of trust with governments
• Identify and work with individuals you can trust
• Work as a facilitator rather than an actor e.g.
provide evidence-based
training, use workshops
to build consensus etc.
• Be patient!
34. Illegal trade in cheetah
• Problem: known trade in live cheetah - but
scale? Impact? Hard data?
• Scale: international
• Policy: CITES
• Advice: IUCN & WCS
• Route to policy: CITES authorities in cheetah
range states
35. Illegal trade in cheetah: Progress
• Preliminary report on extent of trade and Parties
engaged – Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya
• Submission of document for CITES agenda by Parties
• CITES commissioned in-depth study of trade -
concluded likely to impact wild cheetahs
• CITES working group on illegal cheetah trade
established and
developed
recommendations
• Recommendations
on agenda for 2016
CITES COP
36. Illegal trade in cheetah: Progress
• Started in 2011
• 5 years to get recommendations tabled and
accepted (hopefully)
Meanwhile there have been impacts:
• UAE and Kuwait have introduced legislation
making it illegal to own wildlife
• Auction websites in Gulf have banned sale of
wildlife
37. A range-wide evidence-based strategy for
conservation of cheetah and African wild dog
• Problem: Cheetahs and wild dogs are wide ranging and
rare – they require concerted conservation action across a
massive scale
• Scale: International, regional and national
• Policy: develop evidence-based IUCN/SSC strategic
planning frameworks
• Advice: IUCN/SSC
• Route to policy: Range state government wildlife
authorities and relevant ministries, CMS
38. • 3 Regional Strategies
• 16 National Action
Plans supported or
endorsed by
government
Completed
Not yet
Outside current
range
Outside historical
range
39. Large-scale fencing
• Problem: Large-scale fencing interventions are a threat for
migratory wildlife
Fencing use increasing around infrastructure, protected
areas, and national boundaries
Limited evidence on impacts and how best to mitigate them
• Scale: International
• Policy: CMS
• Advice & route to policy: CMS Scientific Council
40. Large-scale fencing:
Approach
• Article laying out a
research agenda to
provide an evidence-base
for fencing
• CMS engaged in article
and in finding solution
(discussed under
Scientific Council)
• CMS establishing Working
Group on Fencing to push
agenda forward
41. Don’t be daunted:
• Decision makers need to
know about important and
relevant evidence
• You know your evidence
better than anyone else
• If you don’t engage – then
who will?
