Came across this being shared on Twitter. A survey for an undergraduate dissertation on UK invasive species.
forms.office.com
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UK Invasive Species Survey (1 Viewer)
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Farnboro John
Well-known member
I had a quick look. I may or may not undertake the survey but I do not think it is helpful either for scientific recording or for policymaking to address matters of public perception. The only thing to be learned there is already known: that the public is both fickle and in the body, stupid, ignorant and disposed to make decisions on the basis of irrelevant factoids.Came across this being shared on Twitter. A survey for an undergraduate dissertation on UK invasive species.
Microsoft Forms
It is sad to see so august a seat of learning as Cambridge University allow such pap in its students' projects instead of proper scientific research.
John
I disagree with John. Public perception can and does drive policy in many areas. Understanding public perception, and how different sections of society perceive issues, can be of considerable benefit depending on the purpose of wanting to understand that public perception and what you are going to do with it.
I can think of one major piece of research conducted here (by Professors, not undergraduates) into the public's perception of large carnivores in the country (covering the perceived population levels, the threats they do or do not pose, the measures that respondents thought should be taken in regard to them in a range from 'protect' to 'eradicate', etc etc).
The data was broken down into many angles, eg urban/rural, education level, age, where they typically acquired news, etc. At the very simplest level, having data that showed the persons least in favour of protecting these carnivores were also the most likely to know least about them (eg wildly overestimated their population in the country, overestimated damage or number of attacks in the country ...which is actually zero) allowed the possibility of targeting measures to address the lack of knowledge - rural areas tended to have the lowest level of knowledge, the highest desire to remove predators and the lowest general reading of newspapers and other media. As a result of this public perception study, the authors actually followed up by persuading the schools in the areas with negative perception (driven by false perceptions) to have modules about the species in Lithuania and an encouragement for the children to 'go and tell your parents about them'. It can also used in discussions with populist policymakers to accurately show that public demands for this or this are based on incorrect assumptions.
Whether this study really did or didn't have impact on changing views is open to question of course, but a repeat study some years later showed perceptions were becoming, generally, more positive to the presence of carnivores in all sections of society. This published also allowed bodies in favour of protection to use it to show a strengthening public opinion for conservation of these species.
I can think of one major piece of research conducted here (by Professors, not undergraduates) into the public's perception of large carnivores in the country (covering the perceived population levels, the threats they do or do not pose, the measures that respondents thought should be taken in regard to them in a range from 'protect' to 'eradicate', etc etc).
The data was broken down into many angles, eg urban/rural, education level, age, where they typically acquired news, etc. At the very simplest level, having data that showed the persons least in favour of protecting these carnivores were also the most likely to know least about them (eg wildly overestimated their population in the country, overestimated damage or number of attacks in the country ...which is actually zero) allowed the possibility of targeting measures to address the lack of knowledge - rural areas tended to have the lowest level of knowledge, the highest desire to remove predators and the lowest general reading of newspapers and other media. As a result of this public perception study, the authors actually followed up by persuading the schools in the areas with negative perception (driven by false perceptions) to have modules about the species in Lithuania and an encouragement for the children to 'go and tell your parents about them'. It can also used in discussions with populist policymakers to accurately show that public demands for this or this are based on incorrect assumptions.
Whether this study really did or didn't have impact on changing views is open to question of course, but a repeat study some years later showed perceptions were becoming, generally, more positive to the presence of carnivores in all sections of society. This published also allowed bodies in favour of protection to use it to show a strengthening public opinion for conservation of these species.
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I remember being forced to do a survey as part of a FE youth work course, way before email and webforms. Sent out about 200 questionnaires to youth work providers, all with stamped, addressed envelopes. It was fun trying to write an assessed piece of work with 5 responses!
Public perception is the main driver of most policies, and that include a large part of environmental ones. Not only because those implementing them (i.e. politicians) depend on the public perception (expressed on the elections) to keep their jobs, but also because the success of those policies depends on the population itself.
I remember long time ago, while getting my first post graduate degree, discussing it with the classic example of human-carnivore coexistence in Europe. And this week we all see in the news that a wolf (with a name placed by scientists!) has killed von der layen old pony! And it may impact EU regulations regarding wolf protection/management.
It is great to see Cambridge, like many other academic bodies, addressing it.
That's probably true but sometimes students will be working with organisations who may also want to see it (or perhaps a report based on it).
Farnboro John
Well-known member
In zoology a lot of undergraduate dissertations are about data for long term tutor research. Saves the tutors doing the ground work.
John
Farnboro John
Well-known member
You've just explained very clearly why public perception shouldn't drive policy and why scientific research should: why we bother to have experts, in fact. You've also explained very clearly why although Cambridge needs to be aware, as a bastion of rationality, of the irrationality of public perception, it shouldn't bother about it except to refute it with solid fact and rational argument.
(Re human-wolf relations, there was a case a few years ago where two wolves ran down and killed a jogger in Alaska, for which they were in turn hunted down and killed. North America has maybe 80,000 wolves and 400,000,000 humans: the disproportionality of the response is obvious.)
John
Public perception and scientific research need to work hand in hand, and it is science to truly understand public perception beyond what is in today's tabloids, on twitter, etc
Cambridge and any other institute understand this and their researchers are correct in tackling both.
Farnboro John
Well-known member
It's a point of view... all right then, but it's not a job for a zoologist but a psychologist - or maybe a multi-disciplinary team but then you're outside undergraduate individual projects.
John
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Now there's a point: the media sets its own agenda, it isn't public driven. That's one of the awful things about it (not that the opinion of the great unwashed is any smarter).
John
Mysticete
Well-known member
Not necessarily. Many students do eventually publish there undergrad research. I have had one undergrad publish his project and another one submitted early this year and we are waiting for reviews.
Mysticete
Well-known member
Communication is an increasingly important part of being a scientist, and dealing with public perceptions of what you research is part of that. It's been decades since scientists, especially anyone dealing with conservation, could just putter about the lab and ignore the outside world. Scientists doing just that is in part a contributing factor to the poor understanding of science by the general public.
Hi back. Have you contacted Freya?
I have gone trough the web survey and I don't see a way to determine whether the Student is Zoologist or psychologist. It does not offer information to determine whether she is on a multi-disciplinary team, which of course don't put outside an undergraduate project. In fact, it is often the case that an undergraduate project is made inside a larger team and has its ties to other project.
cheers
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Survey done. Pretty decent effort whatever it is to be used for (I've seen a lot of worse ones!)
Good balance between tick boxes and comments.
John
Good balance between tick boxes and comments.
John
MJB
Well-known member
Nice flanking movement there, John!😲
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Thank you! Peace feelers have to come from somewhere...
Microsoft forms is actually pretty decent stuff and whoever set that up knew what they are doing, ditto formulating the questions.
I was slightly annoyed when in trying to save my input for possible edit (actually just so I could refer to it) the flipping thing tried to make me download MS Forms... all I really needed was a link to my own input, so maybe that is MS trying to elbow its way into my life. I decided I didn't need it that much!
John
MJB
Well-known member
In similar circumstances, I use 'Print Screen' (Ctrl + prt scr) after hitting f11 for whole-screen view...
MJB
