A presentation to the Ecological Society of Australia annual conference in December 2012 on a survey conducted of the ecosystem science and management community (751 responses) to highlight the effect of society membership on responses.

1. Attitudes to interdisciplinary
collaboration
Lucy Keniger and Alison Specht
Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis

2. The project
Last year we distributed a questionnaire at ESA and
through the web.
What did we want to know?

3. The project
Last year we distributed a questionnaire at ESA and
through the web.
What did we want to know?
• Who is the ecosystem science and management
community?

4. The project
Last year we distributed a questionnaire at ESA and
through the web.
What did we want to know?
• Who is the ecosystem science and management
community?
• What are the current attitudes to interdisciplinary
collaboration and data sharing?

5. The project
Last year we distributed a questionnaire at ESA and
through the web.
What did we want to know?
• Who is the ecosystem science and management
community?
• What are the current attitudes to interdisciplinary
collaboration and data sharing?
• What are the perceived incentives and barriers to
collaboration.

6. The project
Last year we distributed a questionnaire at ESA and
through the web.
What did we want to know?
• Who is the ecosystem science and management
community?
• What are the current attitudes to interdisciplinary
collaboration and data sharing?
• What are the perceived incentives and barriers to
collaboration.
• How does ESA membership affect the responses?

7. This Presentation
• Demographics
• General attitudes
• Incentives and barriers
• Data sharing

8. This Presentation
• Demographics
• General attitudes
• Incentives and barriers
• Data sharing

9. Respondent Demographics
• 751 people responded, of which 48% were members of ESA
• 42% overall were female; 46% of ESA member respondents
were female

10. Respondent Demographics
• 751 people responded, of which 48% were members of ESA
• 42% overall were female; 46% of ESA member respondents
were female

11. Respondent Demographics
• 751 people responded, of which 48% were members of ESA
• 42% overall were female; 46% of ESA member respondents
were female

12. Respondent Demographics

13. Respondent Demographics

14. Primary discipline

15. Primary discipline

16. This Presentation
• Demographics
• General attitudes
• Incentives and barriers
• Data sharing

17. Attitudes – to interdisciplinary
collaboration
93% said it is important for ecosystem
science or management and for their work
86% said it is stimulating and enjoyable
70% said it is more challenging than with
people of their own discipline

18. Collaborative approaches
46% focus on a single set of questions or issues
54% would prefer to collaborate with people
from their own discipline
66% prefer to collaborate with people with
whom they have previously worked
52% prefer to collaborate with people who are
located close to them

19. This Presentation
• Demographics
• General attitudes
• Incentives and barriers
• Data sharing

20. Incentives for interdisciplinary
collaboration

21. Incentives for interdisciplinary
collaboration

22. Incentives for interdisciplinary
collaboration

23. Incentives for interdisciplinary
collaboration

24. Incentives for interdisciplinary
collaboration

25. Barriers against collaboration

26. Barriers against collaboration

27. Barriers against collaboration

28. Barriers against collaboration

29. Barriers against collaboration

30. Institutional barriers

31. Institutional barriers

32. This Presentation
• Demographics
• General attitudes
• Incentives and barriers
• Data sharing

33. Data sharing

34. How much do we collaborate?
(number of people in last 3 years)

35. How much do we collaborate?
(number of people in last 3 years)

36. How much do we collaborate?
(number of people in last 3 years)