Masters Dissertation Example

2.2 Current levels of uptake of research into conservation practice 
Despite the obvious utility of research in conservation action, many scientists believe that it 
often does not form the basis of conservation practice (Sutherland et al, 2004; Pullin et al, 
2004). This has stimulated increasing debate over the perceived ‘missing link’ between 
scientific research and conservation (Meffe, 1998; Prendergast et al, 1999) with many 
believing that this has led to an over-reliance upon experience and anecdotal sources 
(Sutherland et al, 2004) rather than conservation practice being grounded in scientific theory 
(Pullin & Knight, 2005). These concerns are not held only in conservation; the lack of linkage 
between research and policy is also an issue in the field of development (Court & Young, 
2003) 
Whilst much theory has been written on the topic, very few studies have empirically 
investigated levels of uptake of scientific research into conservation practice. As the primary 

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mode of dissemination for conservation research findings amongst the scientific community, 
scientific peer-reviewed journals and the research published within them again lie at the centre 
of discourse. Research thus far has concentrated upon three main areas; the uptake of the 
literature from the perceptions of researchers, the use of literature by practitioners and 
institutions, and the incorporation of literature into policy and recovery plans. 
2.2.1 Uptake from perceptions of researchers 
An editorial in the Journal of Applied Ecology (Ormerod et al, 2002) and a study in 
Conservation Biology (Flashpohler et al, 2000) have attempted to quantify the degree to which 
the studies published in these journals have had practical application; reporting uptake levels 
of 57% and 54% respectively. Whilst both of these studies provide an estimate of uptake and 
identify some interesting trends, they are largely qualitative and limited in scope. Both studies 
dealt with uptake of recommendations explicitly, rather than findings as a whole, ignoring the 
rather lively policy advocacy debate amongst scientists (section 2.5.3). Similarly, the research 
was restricted to a single journal and neither study attempted to quantify the role of 
publication in the implementation of research, nor the factors facilitating uptake.