The 50 Research Questions of Most Importance to the Conservation of Biological Diversity in Hungary in the Next Five Years
Abstract
Demands from conservation practice and results derived by conservation research are often not in accord. In order to address the “knowing-doing” gap between conservation practice and research a participatory process was initiated applying social science methodology in 2013 in Hungary. The aim of the project was to compile the list of conservation research priorities based on practitioners’ demands. During the process 792 research questions were collected (from interviews and via an online questionnaire), of which the 50 most important were selected in a participatory workshop in February 2014 by the attendants representing public administration, national park directorates, civil organisations, farmers, forestry and hunting organisations. Researchers assisted in the formulation of research questions but not in the prioritisation. The questions cover broader target areas and draw attention to the need for basic research, systematic and monitoring studies, meta-databases and highlight the growing demand for interdisciplinary research. The use of participatory methods opens up new collaborative perspectives in setting up conservation-related research agendas.
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