A Practical Guide to Interdisciplinary Biodiversity Research

Biodiversity research has historically been dominated by natural sciences, particularly biology. While biological knowledge is essential, other competences are needed for addressing the social, economic, political and cultural drivers of biodiversity loss in scientific credible ways. Clearly, conservation strategies risk being ineffective, poorly implemented or socially contested when human dimensions are insufficiently considered.

Although interdisciplinarity is widely promoted in research agendas, funding calls and policy frameworks, there is a gap between theory and practice. Many existing publications focus on defining interdisciplinarity or arguing for its importance, but offer limited, concrete guidance on how to conduct interdisciplinary research in real-world settings. 

A newly published article aims to serve as a guide for interdisciplinary biodiversity research. The main author Marie Stenseke is a Visiting Professor at SLU and Head of SLU’s Interdisciplinary Academy (IDA). She has many years of experience in interdisciplinary research and a strong commitment to facilitating and stimulating interaction between researchers who cross the boundaries between the natural and social sciences:

– Effective interdisciplinary biodiversity research requires more than assembling researchers from different fields. It involves developing shared problem framings, mutual respect for different types of knowledge, and a willingness to engage with diverse methods, values and epistemologies. Attention to context is crucial: social-ecological systems vary widely, and solutions must be grounded in local realities to deliver meaningful biodiversity outcomes.

Drawing on experiences and a survey from an international collaborative project (Land2Sea) the article provides practical advice and a guide to help researcher better understand and prepare for interdisciplinary research endeavours in biodiversity. The guidance is sorted into three interlinked dimensions: People and perspectives, Process and organizational structure and Perspectives and concepts.

Länk till publikationen

Stenseke, M., Harris,F. L., & Crowe, T. (2025). Advice forinterdisciplinary biodiversity research.Conservation Science and Practice, e70203. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70203