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Environmental Conservation Masters Theses Collection

Theses from 2024 2024.

Effects of Habitat, Density, and Climate on Moose and Winter Tick Ecology in the northeastern U.S. , Juliana Berube, Environmental Conservation

Adaptive Silviculture for Wildlife: Supporting Forest Biodiversity Through Climate Adaptation , Jahiya Clark, Environmental Conservation

Comparing Likelihood of Tree Failure Assessments Using Different Assessment Techniques , Ari Okun, Environmental Conservation

Use of Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle (Drones) Based Remote Sensing to Model Platform Topography and Identify Human-made Earthen Barriers in Salt Marshes , Joshua J. Ward, Environmental Conservation

Theses from 2023 2023

Modeling the Effects of Forest Management Practices on Ecohydrologic Processes in the Antalya River Watershed of Turkey , Hilal Arslan, Environmental Conservation

HYDRO-SOCIAL TERRITORIES AND OIL PALM PLANTATIONS: INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, AGRIBUSINESS, AND SAFE WATER ACCESS UNDER POWER RELATIONS IN KAIS, WEST PAPUA, INDONESIA , Briantama Asmara, Environmental Conservation

Evaluation of Acoustic Telemetry Array Performance and Fine- Scale and Broad-Scale Spatial Movement Patterns for Coral Reef Species in Culebra, Puerto Rico , Roxann Cormier, Environmental Conservation

Improving Energy Efficiency of School Buildings with Solar-Assisted Cooling for the Maldives , Ahmed Fathhee, Environmental Conservation

Pine Barrens Wildlife Management: Exploring the Impact of a Stressor and Active Management on Two Taxa at Camp Edwards , Andrew B. Gordon Jr, Environmental Conservation

Factors Affecting the Distribution of Malayan Sun Bear in Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary, Northern Myanmar , Min Hein Htike, Environmental Conservation

A Multi-Regional Assessment of Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) Occupancy in Managed and Unmanaged Forests Using Autonomous Recording Units , Jeffery T. Larkin, Environmental Conservation

Climate Change Attitudes of United States Family Forest Owners and their Influence on Forest Management Practices , Logan Miller, Environmental Conservation

The Relative Effects of Functional Diversity and Structural Complexity on Carbon Dynamics in Late-Successional, Northeastern Mixed Hardwood Forests , Samantha Myers, Environmental Conservation

Factors influencing the occurrence and spread of aquatic invasive species in watershed systems , Hazel M. Ortiz, Environmental Conservation

PARTICIPATORY WETLAND GOVERNANCE IN RAMSAR – ASSESSING LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION IN INDIA , Seema Ravandale, Environmental Conservation

A REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF THE LINKED DECISIONS IN THE CONFISCATION OF ILLEGALLY TRADED TURTLES , Desiree Smith, Environmental Conservation

Effect of Alliaria petiolata management on post-eradication seed bank dynamics , Chloe Thompson, Environmental Conservation

Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) Population Dynamics and Response to Habitat Management in Massachusetts , Julia Vineyard, Environmental Conservation

Theses from 2022 2022

Assessment of the Economic and Ecosystem Service Contributions of USDA Forest Service Landowner Assistance Programs in the Conterminous United States , Jacqueline S. Dias, Environmental Conservation

Exploring Urban Forestry Non-Governmental Organizations in the Temperate Forest Region of the United States , Alexander J. Elton, Environmental Conservation

Songbird-mediated Insect Pest Control in Low Intensity New England Agriculture , Samuel J. Mayne, Environmental Conservation

Perception and Value Assessment of Ecosystem Services in Rural and Urban Regions in Ecuador , Roberto S. Navarrete Arias, Environmental Conservation

Identifying New Invasives In The Face Of Climate Change: A Focus On Sleeper Populations , Ayodelé C. O'Uhuru, Environmental Conservation

A Tipping Point in the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest: Current and Future Land-Use and Climate Change Trends , Alula Shields, Environmental Conservation

Dynamics of Water Supply and Demand in the Bandama River Watershed of Cote d'Ivoire , Sarah Alima Traore, Environmental Conservation

Theses from 2021 2021

Applying Ecological Theory to Amphibian Populations to Determine if Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) are Ideal and Free when Selecting Breeding Habitat , Taylor M. Braunagel, Environmental Conservation

Assessing the Impacts to Society Associated with the Use of Alternative Ammunition for Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges , Christopher Cahill, Environmental Conservation

Evaluation of Environmental Factors Influencing American Marten Distribution and Density in New Hampshire , Donovan Drummey, Environmental Conservation

Can Volunteers Learn to Prune Trees? , Ryan W. Fawcett, Environmental Conservation

The Efficacy of Habitat Conservation Assistance Programs for Family Forest Owners in Vermont , Margaret E. Harrington, Environmental Conservation

The Role of Vegetative Cover in Enhancing Resilience to Climate Change and Improving Public Health , Anastasia D. Ivanova, Environmental Conservation

Assessing the Structure and Function of Utility Forests in Massachusetts , Ryan Suttle, Environmental Conservation

Factors Influencing Stopover and Movement of Migratory Songbirds within the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge , Jessica Tatten, Environmental Conservation

Patterns and mechanisms of intraspecific trait variation across thermal gradients in a marine gastropod , Andrew R. Villeneuve, Environmental Conservation

Theses from 2020 2020

Habitat Associations of Priority Bird Species and Conservation Value on Small, Diversified Farms in New England , Isabel Brofsky, Environmental Conservation

Autonomous Recording Units as an Alternative Method for Monitoring Songbirds , Lindsay Clough, Environmental Conservation

Impact of Predators on Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) in the Eastern and Western United States , Ryan Crandall, Environmental Conservation

New England’s Underutilized Seafood Species: Defining And Exploring Marketplace Potential In A Changing Climate , Amanda Davis, Environmental Conservation

Improving Growth and Survival of Cultured Yellow Lampmussel (Lampsilis cariosa) for Restoring Populations , Virginia Martell, Environmental Conservation

From Intentional Awareness to Environmental Action: The Relationship Between Mindfulness and Pro-Environmental Behaviors , Nischal Neupane, Environmental Conservation

The Ecological Value of Spruce Plantations in Massachusetts , Calvin Ritter, Environmental Conservation

In-vitro Propagation and Fish Assessments to Inform Restoration of Dwarf Wedgemussel (Alasmidonta Heterodon) , Jennifer Ryan, Environmental Conservation

Theses from 2019 2019

Hydrologic Structure and Function of Vernal Pools in South Deerfield, Massachusetts , Charlotte Axthelm, Environmental Conservation

Ecological and Economic Implications of Establishing Quercus spp. in the Urban Environment , Tierney Bocsi, Environmental Conservation

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) Management Effectiveness and Plant Community Response , Erin Coates-Connor, Environmental Conservation

Defining and Addressing Interconnected Goals in Groundwater Management Planning Across the USA , Allison Gage, Environmental Conservation

Root-Driven Weathering Impacts on Mineral-Organic Associations Over Pedogenic Time Scales , Mariela Garcia Arredondo, Environmental Conservation

Using Visual Media to Empower Citizen Scientists: A Case Study of the Outsmart App , Megan E. Kierstead, Environmental Conservation

Urban Biodiversity Experience and Exposure: Intervention and Inequality at the Local and Global Scale , Evan Kuras, Environmental Conservation

Arboriculture Safety Around The World , Jamie Lim, Environmental Conservation

Ecological Considerations and Application of Urban Tree Selection in Massachusetts , Ashley McElhinney, Environmental Conservation

The Women's Action: Participation through Resistance , Michael Roberts, Environmental Conservation

Eastern Whip-poor-will Habitat Associations in Fort Drum, NY , Kimberly Spiller, Environmental Conservation

The Role of International River Basin Organizations in Facilitating Science Use in Policy , Kelsey Wentling, Environmental Conservation

An Examination of Tern Diet in a Changing Gulf of Maine , Keenan Yakola, Environmental Conservation

Theses from 2018 2018

Mapping Sandbars in the Connecticut River Watershed through Aerial Images for Floodplain Conservation , Bogumila Backiel, Environmental Conservation

You Must Estimate Before You Indicate: Design and Model-Based Methods for Evaluating Utility of a Candidate Forest Indicator Species , Jillian Fleming, Environmental Conservation

Performance of Floristic Quality Assessment in Massachusetts Forested Wetlands , Carolyn Gorss, Environmental Conservation

The Impact of Intraspecific Density on Garlic Mustard Sinigrin Concentration , Mercedes Harris, Environmental Conservation

Plants, Parasites, and Pollinators: The Effects of Medicinal Pollens on a Common Gut Parasite in Bumble Bees , George LoCascio, Environmental Conservation

Human and Climate Change Influences on Black (Diceros bicornis) and White (Ceratotherium simum) Rhinos in Southern Africa , Hlelolwenkhosi S. Mamba, Environmental Conservation

Watershed-Scale Modeling for Water Resource Sustainability in the Tuul River Basin of Mongolia , Javzansuren Norvanchig, Environmental Conservation

Impacts of Small, Surface-Release Dams on Stream Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen in Massachusetts , Peter Zaidel, Environmental Conservation

Theses from 2017 2017

Accounting For Biotic Variability In Streams With Low Levels of Impervious Cover: The Role of Reach- and Watershed-Scale Factors , Catherine Bentsen, Environmental Conservation

Juvenile River Herring in Freshwater Lakes: Sampling Approaches for Evaluating Growth and Survival , Matthew T. Devine, Environmental Conservation

DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS OF CLIMATE ON BIRD ABUNDANCE ALONG ELEVATION GRADIENTS IN THE NORTHERN APPALACHIANS , Timothy Duclos, Environmental Conservation

EVALUATION OF THE RECREATIONAL CATCH-AND-RELEASE FISHERY FOR GOLDEN DORADO SALMINUS BRASILIENSIS IN SALTA, ARGENTINA: IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT , Tyler Gagne, Environmental Conservation

Botswana’s Elephant-Back Safari Industry – Stress-Response in Working African Elephants and Analysis of their Post-Release Movements , Tanya Lama, Environmental Conservation

Factors Influencing Shrubland Bird and Native Bee Communities in Forest Openings , H. Patrick Roberts, Environmental Conservation

A Mixed-methods Study on Female Landowner Estate Planning Objectives , rebekah zimmerer, Environmental Conservation

Theses from 2016 2016

Factors Influencing Household Outdoor Residential Water Use Decisions in Suburban Boston (USA) , Emily E. Argo, Environmental Conservation

Understory Plant Community Structure in Forests Invaded by Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) , Jason Aylward, Environmental Conservation

Factors Affecting Habitat Quality for Wintering Wood Thrushes in a Coffee Growing Region in Honduras , Brett A. Bailey, Environmental Conservation

Invasive Species Occurrence Frequency is not a Suitable Proxy for Abundance in the Northeast , Tyler J. Cross, Environmental Conservation

Population Genetic Analysis of Atlantic Horseshoe Crabs (Limulus polyphemus) in Coastal Massachusetts. , Katherine T. Johnson, Environmental Conservation

Modeling Historical and Future Range of Variability Scenarios in the Yuba River Watershed, Tahoe National Forest, California , Maritza Mallek, Environmental Conservation

The Life History Characteristics, Growth, and Mortality of Juvenile Alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus, in Coastal Massachusetts , Julianne Rosset, Environmental Conservation

Specific Phosphate Sorption Mechanisms of Unaltered and Altered Biochar , Kathryn D. Szerlag, Environmental Conservation

Trophic Relationships Among Caribou Calf Predators in Newfoundland , Chris Zieminski, Environmental Conservation

Theses from 2015 2015

Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Assemblages in Three New York Pine Barrens and the Impacts of Hiking Trails , Grace W. Barber, Environmental Conservation

Niche-Based Modeling of Japanese Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) Using Presence-Only Information , Nathan Bush, Environmental Conservation

Assessing Mammal and Bird Biodiversity and Habitat Occupancy of Tiger Prey in the Hukaung Valley of Northern Myanmar , Hla Naing, Environmental Conservation

Generating Best Management Practices for Avian Conservation in a Land-Sparing Agriculture System, and the Habitat-Specific Survival of a Priority Migrant , Jeffrey D. Ritterson, Environmental Conservation

Experimental Test of Genetic Rescue in Isolated Populations of Brook Trout , Zachary L. Robinson, Environmental Conservation

UNDERSTANDING STAKEHOLDERS PERCEPTION TOWARDS HUMAN-WILDLIFE INTERACTION AND CONFLICT IN A TIGER LANDSCAPE-COMPLEX OF INDIA , Ronak T. Sripal, Environmental Conservation

Impacts of Land Cover and Climate Change on Water Resources in Suasco River Watershed , Ammara Talib, Environmental Conservation

Theses from 2014 2014

A Comparison of American, Canadian, and European Home Energy Performance in Heating Dominated – Moist Climates Based on Building Codes , Stephanie M. Berkland, Environmental Conservation

Spatio-Temporal Factors Affecting Human-Black Bear Interactions in Great Smoky Mountains National Park , Nathan Buckhout, Environmental Conservation

Estimating the Effective Number of Breeders of Brook Trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, Over Multiple Generations in Two Stream Systems , Matthew R. Cembrola, Environmental Conservation

An Assessment of Environmental Dna as a Tool to Detect Fish Species in Headwater Streams , Stephen F. Jane, Environmental Conservation

Assessing Wild Canid Distribution Using Camera Traps in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts , Eric G. LeFlore, Environmental Conservation

Quantifying the Effect of Passive Solar Design in Traditional New England Architecture , Peter Levy, Environmental Conservation

Ecology and Conservation of Endangered Species in Sumatra: Smaller Cats and the Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus Sumatrensis) As Case Studies , Wulan Pusparini, Environmental Conservation

The Cumulative Impacts of Climate Change and Land Use Change on Water Quantity and Quality in the Narragansett Bay Watershed , Evan R. Ross, Environmental Conservation

Patterns in Trash: Factors that Drive Municipal Solid Waste Recycling , Jared Starr, Environmental Conservation

Theses from 2013 2013

Greening the Building Code: an Analysis of Large Project Review Under Boston Zoning Code Articles 37 and 80 , Sandy J. Beauregard, Environmental Conservation

Vernal Pool Vegetation and Soil Patterns Along Hydrologic Gradients in Western Massachusetts , Kasie Collins, Environmental Conservation

Implementation of Aquaponics in Education: An Assessment of Challenges, Solutions and Success , Emily Rose Hart, Environmental Conservation

Aquatic Barrier Prioritization in New England Under Climate Change Scenarios Using Fish Habitat Quantity, Thermal Habitat Quality, Aquatic Organism Passage, and Infrastructure Sustainability , Alexandra C. Jospe, Environmental Conservation

The Energy Benefits of Trees: Investigating Shading, Microclimate and Wind Shielding Effects in Worcester and Springfield, Massachusetts , Emma L. Morzuch, Environmental Conservation

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What really matters for successful research environments? A realist synthesis

Rola ajjawi.

1 Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning (CRADLE), Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia

Paul E S Crampton

2 Research Department of Medical Education, University College London, London, UK

3 Monash Centre for Scholarship in Health Education (MCSHE), Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

Charlotte E Rees

Associated data.

Table S2. MeSH terms and a selection of key terms utilised in the database searches.

Table S3. Inclusion and exclusion criteria with respect to topic, recentness and type of article.

Table S4. Refined inclusion and exclusion criteria to include contextual parameters.

Table S5. Studies by type: qualitative, quantitative and mixed‐methods.

Research environments, or cultures, are thought to be the most influential predictors of research productivity. Although several narrative and systematic reviews have begun to identify the characteristics of research‐favourable environments, these reviews have ignored the contextual complexities and multiplicity of environmental characteristics.

The current synthesis adopts a realist approach to explore what interventions work for whom and under what circumstances.

We conducted a realist synthesis of the international literature in medical education, education and medicine from 1992 to 2016, following five stages: (i) clarifying the scope; (ii) searching for evidence; (iii) assessing quality; (iv) extracting data, and (v) synthesising data.

We identified numerous interventions relating to research strategy, people, income, infrastructure and facilities (IIF), and collaboration. These interventions resulted in positive or negative outcomes depending on the context and mechanisms fired. We identified diverse contexts at the individual and institutional levels, but found that disciplinary contexts were less influential. There were a multiplicity of positive and negative mechanisms, along with three cross‐cutting mechanisms that regularly intersected: time; identity, and relationships. Outcomes varied widely and included both positive and negative outcomes across subjective (e.g. researcher identity) and objective (e.g. research quantity and quality) domains.

Conclusions

The interplay among mechanisms and contexts is central to understanding the outcomes of specific interventions, bringing novel insights to the literature. Researchers, research leaders and research organisations should prioritise the protection of time for research, enculturate researcher identities, and develop collaborative relationships to better foster successful research environments. Future research should further explore the interplay among time, identity and relationships.

Short abstract

This realist review shows when and why interventions related to research strategy; people; income, infrastructure and facilities; and collaboration result in positive or negative research environments. Findings indicate that protected time, researcher identities and collaborative relationships are important for fostering successful research environments.

Introduction

Research environments matter. Environmental considerations such as robust cultures of research quality and support for researchers are thought to be the most influential predictors of research productivity. 1 , 2 Over 25 years ago, Bland and Ruffin 1 identified 12 characteristics of research‐favourable environments in the international academic medicine literature spanning the period from the mid‐1960s to 1990 (Box 1 ). Although these characteristics are aspirational in flavour, how they interplay to influence research productivity within increasingly complex institutional structures is not yet known. Indeed, although existing reviews have begun to help us better understand what makes for successful research environments, this research has typically ignored the contextual complexities and multiplicity of environmental characteristics 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 and has focused on narrow markers of productivity such as the quantity of research outputs (e.g. ref. 7 ) The current realist synthesis, therefore, aims to address this gap in the research literature by reviewing more recent literature ( 1992–2016 ) and exploring the features of successful research environments in terms of which interventions work, for whom, how and in what circumstances.

Characteristics of successful research environments 1

• Clear organisational research goals
• Research productivity as a priority and at least equal priority to other activities
• A robust research culture with shared research values
• A positive group climate
• Participative governance structures
• Non‐hierarchical and decentralised structures
• Good communication and professionally meaningful relationships between team members
• Decent resources such as people, funding, research facilities and time
• Larger group size, moderately established teams and diversity
• Rewards for research success
• Recruitment and selection of talented researchers
• Research‐oriented leaders with research expertise and skill

The contextual background for understanding successful research environments

Against a backdrop of the mass production of education, reduced government funding for research and ‘new managerialist’ cultures in higher education, 8 , 9 increased scrutiny of the quantity and quality of research, the research environments in which research is produced and the impacts of research has become inevitable. 10 Indeed, in higher education institutions (HEIs) globally, research productivity is being measured as part of individual researcher and research group key performance indicators. 7 In many countries, such as Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and the UK, 11 HEI research is measured on a national scale through government‐led research assessments. Such research measurement has contributed to the allocation of funding to universities and differentiation of universities in the competitive marketplace, with some solidifying their institutional identities as ‘research‐intensive’ and others emphasising their relative ‘newcomer‐to‐research’ status (e.g. previously ‘teaching‐intensive’ universities). 9 , 12 , 13 Such institutional differentiation also parallels that of individual academics within universities, who are increasingly encouraged to take either ‘research‐active’ or ‘education‐focused’ career pathways. 8 , 9 It is these broader national and institutional constraints that inevitably impact on research environments at the level of units, centres, departments and schools within universities (the level of ‘research environment’ that we focus on in this paper). Table S1 provides definitions of key terms.

Key features of research environments identified in previous reviews

Evans defines a research environment as including: ‘shared values, assumptions, beliefs, rituals and other forms of behaviour whose central focus is the acceptance and recognition of research practice and output as valued, worthwhile and pre‐eminent activity.’ 14 Previous reviews have tended to focus on interventions aimed at individual researchers, such as research capacity building, 4 , 5 , 7 and with individual‐level outcomes, such as increased numbers of grants or publications. 4 , 5 , 7 These reviews have typically concluded that research capacity‐building interventions lead to positive research outcomes. 4 , 5 , 7 Furthermore, the reviews have identified both individual and institutional enablers to research. Individual enablers included researchers’ intrinsic motivation to conduct research. 6 , 7 Institutional enablers included peer support, encouragement and review, 7 mentoring and collaboration, 4 , 5 research leadership, 5 , 6 institutional structures, processes and systems supporting research, such as clear strategy, 5 , 6 protected time and financial support. 5 Although these reviews have begun to shed light on the features of successful research environments, they have significant limitations: (i) they either include studies of low to moderate quality 4 , 5 or fail to check the quality of studies included, 7 and (ii) they do not explore what works for whom and under what circumstances, but instead focus on what works and ignore the influence of the context in which interventions are implemented and ‘how’ outcomes come about. Indeed, Mazmanian et al. 4 concluded in their review: ‘…little is known about what works best and in what situations.’

Conceptual framework: a realist approach

Given the gaps in the research literature and the importance of promoting successful research environments for individuals’ careers, institutional prestige and the knowledge base of the community, we thought a realist synthesis would be most likely to elucidate how multiple complex interventions can influence success. Realism assumes the existence of an external reality (a real world), but one that is filtered (i.e. perceived, interpreted and responded to) through human senses, volitions, language and culture. 15 A realist approach enables the development and testing of theory for why interventions may or may not work, for whom and under what circumstances. 16 It does this through recognising that interventions do not directly cause outcomes; instead, participants’ reactions and responses to the opportunities provided by the intervention trigger outcomes. This approach can allow researchers to identify causal links in complex situations, such as those between interventions and the contexts in which they work, how they work (mechanisms) and their outcomes. 17 Although the context–mechanism–outcome (CMO) approach is not necessarily linear, it can help to provide explanations that privilege contextual variability. 18

Aligned with the goals of realist research, this synthesis aims to address the following research question: What are the features of successful research environments, for whom, how and in what circumstances?

We followed five stages of realist synthesis: (i) clarifying scope; (ii) searching for evidence; (iii) assessing quality; (iv) extracting data, and (v) synthesising data. 19 Our methods also follow the RAMESES ( r ealist a nd m eta‐narrative e vidence s ynthesis: e volving s tandards) reporting guidelines. 20

Clarifying the scope

We first clarified the scope of our realist synthesis by identifying relevant interventions based on the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 environment assessment criteria. The REF is a national exercise assessing the quality of research produced by UK HEIs, its impact beyond academia, and the environment that supports research. The assessment criteria indicated in the REF2014 environment template included the unit's research strategy , its people (including staffing strategy, staff development and research students), its income, infrastructure and facilities (IIF), as well as features of collaboration . 21 These guided our search terms (see stage 2 below). We chose to use these quality markers as they informed the UK national assessment exercise, upon which other national exercises are often based. In addition, these criteria were explicit, considered and implementable, and were developed through consensus. Like other realist syntheses, 18 , 22 , 23 ours considered a multiplicity of different interventions rather than just one and some of the papers we reviewed combined multiple interventions.

Based on previous reviews, 1 , 4 , 5 , 7 our initial programme theory speculated that interventions aligned to having an explicit research strategy, staff development opportunities, funding and establishing research networks would be effective for creating successful research environments (Fig. ​ (Fig.1 1 gives further details of our initial programme theory).

Initial programme theory

Searching for empirical evidence

We devised search terms as a team and refined these iteratively with the help of a health librarian experienced in searching. We split the research question into three key concepts: (i) research environment; (ii) discipline, and (iii) research indicator (i.e. positive or negative). We then used variations of these terms to search the most relevant databases including MEDLINE, ProQuest, Scopus, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) and Web of Science. Table S2 illustrates the MeSH terms and provides a selection of key terms utilised in the database searches.

We were interested in comparing research cultures across the disciplines of medical education, education and medicine for two key reasons. Firstly, the discipline of medical education consists of a rich tapestry of epistemological approaches including biomedical sciences, social sciences and education, and medicine. 24 , 25 Secondly, there have been disciplinary arguments in the literature about whether medical education should be constructed as medicine or social science. 24 , 26

We agreed various inclusion and exclusion criteria with respect to topic, recentness and type of article (Table S3 ), as well as refined criteria to include contextual parameters (Table S4 ). We chose 1992 as the start date for our search period as 1992 saw the first published literature review about productive research environments in the academic medicine literature. 1

Study selection

The first top‐level search elicited 8527 journal articles across all databases. Once duplicate results had been removed, and ‘topic’ and ‘recentness’ study parameters reinforced, 420 articles remained. The searching and selection process is summarised in a PRISMA ( p referred r eporting i tems for s ystematic reviews and m eta‐ a nalyses) diagram (Fig. ​ (Fig.2). 2 ). Three research assistants and one of the authors (PESC) initially assessed relevance by reviewing abstracts using preliminary inclusion criteria. If any ambiguities were found by any of the reviewers, abstracts were checked by one of the other two researchers (RA and CER). Where divergent views existed, researchers discussed the reasons why and agreed on whether to include or exclude. A 10% sample of these 420 abstracts were double‐checked by an additional two researchers, including a number of articles previously excluded, for quality control purposes.

PRISMA flow diagram of the selection process

Assessment of quality

We assessed the journal articles for relevance and rigour. 20 We defined an article's relevance according to ‘whether it can contribute to theory building and/or testing’. 20 Following the relevance check and ‘type’ exclusions to original research papers, 100 articles remained, which were then assessed for rigour. Although we chose to narrow down to original research, we kept relevant articles such as systematic reviews and opinion pieces to inform the introduction and discussion sections of this paper.

We defined rigour as determining ‘whether the method used to generate the particular piece of data is credible and trustworthy’. 20 We used two pre‐validated tools to assess study quality: the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) to assess the quality of quantitative research, 27 , 28 and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) qualitative checklist for qualitative and mixed‐method studies. 29 Both tools are used to consider the rigour of study design, sampling, type of data, data analysis and outcomes/findings, and have been employed in previous reviews. 23 , 30

Following the quality assessment, 47 articles remained and were then subjected to data extraction and synthesis. Five papers were excluded as they did not contribute to our theory building or lacked CMO configurations (CMOCs). We kept notes of the reasons for excluding studies and resolved doubts through discussion (Fig. ​ (Fig.2 2 ).

Data extraction

Two data‐rich articles containing multiple CMOCs were inductively and deductively (based on the initial programme theory) coded by all of us to ensure consistency. We then discussed any similarities and differences in our coding. As is inherent in the challenges of realist approaches, we found differences in our identifications of CMOCs, which often related to how one particular component (e.g. time) could be an outcome at one moment and a mechanism the next. This alerted us to overlapping constructs, which we then explored as we coded remaining papers. To collect data across all remaining papers, we extracted information relating to: study design, methods and sample size; study setting; intervention focus; contexts of the intervention; mechanisms generated in the results, and outcomes. The key CMOCs in all 42 articles were identified primarily from the results sections of the papers. The process of data extraction and analysis was iterative with repeated discussion among the researchers of the demi‐regularities (i.e. patterns of CMOCs) in relation to the initial programme theory and negotiations of any differences of opinion.

Data synthesis

Finally, we interrogated our data extraction to look for patterns across our data/papers. We used an interpretative approach to consider how our data compared with our initial programme theory in order to develop our modified programme theory.

Characteristics of the studies

The 42 papers represented the following disciplines: medical education ( n = 4, 10%); 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 education ( n = 18, 43%), 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 and medicine ( n = 20, 48%). 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 There were 26 (62%) qualitative studies, 11 (26%) quantitative studies and five (12%) mixed‐methods studies (Table S5 ). The studies were from countries across the globe, including Australia ( n = 10, 24%), the USA ( n = 7, 17%), the UK ( n = 6, 14%), Canada ( n = 4, 10%), South Africa ( n = 4, 10%), Denmark ( n = 2, 5%), Turkey ( n = 2, 5%) and others ( n = 7, 17%) (e.g. Belgium, China, Germany, New Zealand and the Philippines). The research designs varied but common approaches included qualitative interviews, surveys, documentary/bibliographic analysis, case studies and mixed‐methods studies. Study participants included academics, teachers, health care professionals, senior directors, PhD students, early‐career researchers (ECRs) and senior researchers. Table S6 lists the individual contexts, interventions, mechanisms and outcomes identified from individual papers.

Extending our initial programme theory

A key finding from our realist synthesis was that the same interventions fired either positive or negative mechanisms leading to positive or negative outcomes, respectively, depending on context. Surprisingly, the CMOCs were mostly consistent across the three disciplines (i.e. medical education, education and medicine) with local contexts seemingly interplaying more strongly with outcomes. Therefore, we present these disciplinary contexts here as merged, but we highlight any differences by disciplinary context where relevant.

Having a research strategy promoted a successful research environment when it enabled appropriate resources (including time) and valuing of research; however, it had negative consequences when it too narrowly focused on outputs, incentives and rewards. In terms of people , individual researchers needed to be internally motivated and to have a sense of belonging, and protected time and access to capacity‐building activities in order to produce research. Lack of knowledge, researcher identity, networks and time, plus limited leadership support, acted as mechanisms leading to negative research outcomes. The presence of IIF was overwhelmingly indicated as necessary for successful research environments and their absence was typically detrimental. Interestingly, a few papers reported that external funding could have negative consequences because short‐term contracts, reduced job security and the use of temporary junior staff can lead to weak research environments. 40 , 67 , 71 Finally, collaboration was crucial for successful research mediated through trusting respectful relationships, supportive leadership and belongingness. Poor communication and competitive cultures, however, worked to undermine collaboration, leading to isolation and low self‐esteem, plus decreased research engagement and productivity. Table ​ Table1 1 highlights illustrative CMOCs for each intervention extending our initial programme theory.

Positive and negative context–mechanism–outcome configurations (CMOCs) for each intervention

CMOCs indicated in bold highlight the three cross‐cutting themes of time, identity and relationships.

ECRs = early‐career researchers.

Key cross‐cutting mechanisms: time, identity and relationships

As Table ​ Table1 1 shows, the same intervention can lead to positive or negative outcomes depending on the particular contexts and mechanisms triggered. This highlights greater complexity than is evident at first glance. Cross‐cutting these four interventions were three mechanisms that were regularly identified as critical to the success (or not) of a research environment: time; researcher identities, and relationships. We now present key findings for each of these cross‐cutting mechanisms and discuss how their inter‐relations lead to our modified programme theory (Fig. ​ (Fig.3). 3 ). Note that although we have tried to separate these three mechanisms for ease of reading, they were often messily entangled. Table ​ Table2 2 presents quotes illustrating the way in which each mechanism mediates outcomes within particular circumstances.

Modified programme theory. ECR = early‐career researcher

Time, identity and relationships as cross‐cutting mechanisms mediating successful research environments

Time was identified as an important mechanism for mobilising research outcomes across our three disciplines. Time was conceptualised severally including as: protected time; workload pressures influencing time available; efficient use of time; flexible use of time; making time, and time in career. The two most commonly considered aspects were protected time and workload implications. Protected time was largely talked about in the negative across a variety of contexts and disciplines, with lack of protected time leading to lack of researcher engagement or inactivity and reduced research productivity. 32 , 35 , 37 , 41 , 44 , 47 , 49 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 67 Also across a variety of contexts and disciplines, and acting as a positive mechanism, available protected time was found to lead to increased research productivity and active research engagement. 31 , 36 , 40 , 48 , 49 , 63 , 65 With regard to workload, limitations on the time available for research imposed by excessive other workloads led to reduced research activity, lower research productivity, poor‐quality research and reduced opportunity to attend research training. 40 , 41 , 47 , 49 , 60 , 67 Juggling of multiple responsibilities, such as clinical, teaching, administrative and leadership roles, also inhibited research productivity by diminishing the time available for research. 35 , 40 , 49 The alignment of research with other non‐research work was described as driving efficiencies in the use of time leading to greater research productivity (Table ​ (Table2, 2 , quote 1).

Identity was also an important mechanism for mobilising research outcomes across our three disciplines. Interpretations included personal identities (e.g. gender), professional identity (e.g. as a primary practitioner or a primary researcher), and social identity (e.g. sense of belongingness). Researcher identity was often referred to in relation to first‐career practitioners (and therefore second‐career researchers). Sharp et al. 48 defined these as participants recruited into higher education not directly from doctoral study but on the basis of their extensive ‘first‐order’ knowledge and pedagogical expertise. These were also practitioners conducting research in schools or hospitals. Identities were also referenced in relation to early, mid‐career or senior researchers. Academic staff working in academic institutions needed to develop a sense of researcher identity, belongingness, self‐efficacy for research and autonomy to increase their satisfaction, competence and research activity. 39 , 40 , 44 , 46 , 51 , 67 For first‐career practitioners (i.e. teachers, doctors), the research needed to be highly relevant and aligned to their primary identity work in order to motivate them. 53 , 59 , 62 , 65 This alignment was described as having a strong research–teaching nexus. 40 , 48 Linked to this concept was the need for first‐career practitioners to see the impact of research in relation to their primary work (e.g. patient‐ or student‐oriented) to facilitate motivation and to develop a researcher identity (Table ​ (Table2, 2 , quote 2). 36 , 37 , 41 , 49 , 53 , 54 , 67 Where research was seen as irrelevant to primary identity work (e.g. English language teaching, general practice), there was research disengagement. 37 , 48 , 52 , 59 , 67

Relationships

For all researchers and across our three disciplines, relationships were important in the mediating of successful research environments. 31 , 34 , 38 , 39 , 41 , 44 , 57 , 60 , 66 , 67 Positive research relationships were characterised by mutual trust and respect, 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 54 , 66 , 72 whereas others described them as friendships that take time to develop. 51 Mutually supportive relationships seemed to be particularly relevant to ECRs in terms of developing confidence, self‐esteem and research capacity and making identity transitions. 35 , 43 , 48 , 58 , 67 Relationships in the form of networks were considered to improve the quality of research through multicentre research and improved collaboration. 33 , 60 Supportive leadership as a particular form of relationship was an important mechanism in promoting a successful research environment. Supportive leaders needed to monitor workloads, set the vision, raise awareness of the value of research, and provide positive role‐modelling, thereby leading to increased productivity, promoting researcher identities and creating thriving research environments (Table ​ (Table2, 2 , quote 3). 31 , 34 , 37 , 38 , 40 , 41 , 43 , 44 , 46 , 48 , 49 , 53 , 55 , 62 Research leadership, however, could be influenced negatively by the context of compliance and counting in current university cultures damaging relationships, creating a loss of motivation, and raising feelings of devalue. Indeed, the failure of leaders to recognise researcher identities led to negative research productivity. 36 , 37 , 38 , 43 , 46 , 48 , 49

Intersections between time, identity and relationships within successful research environments

Time and identity.

Time and identity intersected in interesting ways. Firstly, time was a necessary enabler for the development of a researcher identity. 37 , 38 , 41 , 48 , 49 , 54 , 59 , 61 , 63 , 65 , 67 , 69 Secondly, those who identified as researchers (thus holding primary researcher identities) used their time efficiently to favour research activity outcomes despite a lack of protected time. 35 , 43 Conversely, for other professors who lacked personal determination and resilience for research, having protected time did not lead to better research activity. 43 This highlights the fact that time alone is insufficient to support a successful research environment, and that it is how time is utilised and prioritised by researchers that really matters (Table ​ (Table2, 2 , quote 4).

Identity and relationships

Interventions aimed at developing researcher identity consistently focused on relationship building across the three disciplines. The interventions that supported identity transitions into research included formal research training, 44 , 48 , 52 , 68 mentoring, 41 , 48 , 57 , 65 , 72 writing groups, 72 and collaboration with peers and other researchers, 39 , 41 , 43 operating through multiple mechanisms including relationships. The mechanisms included self‐esteem/confidence, increased networks, external recognition as a researcher, belongingness, and self‐efficacy. 35 , 41 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 52 , 57 Furthermore, our data suggest that leadership can be an enabler to the development of a researcher identity. In particular, leadership enabled research autonomy, recognition and empowerment, and fostered supportive mentoring environments, leading to researcher identity development and research productivity (Table ​ (Table2, 2 , quote 5). 34 , 38 , 46 , 48

Time and relationships

Relationships were developed and sustained over time (Table ​ (Table2, 2 , quote 6). Across the three disciplines, the role of leaders (managers, directors, deans) was to acknowledge and raise awareness of research, and then to prioritise time for research against competing demands, leading to effective research networks, cohesion and collaboration. 31 , 34 , 38 , 43 , 46 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 53 , 55 , 70 Second‐career PhD students who did not invest time in establishing relationships with researchers in their new disciplines (as they already had strong supportive networks in their original disciplines) found that they had limited research networks following graduation. 48

Summary of key findings

Our initial programme theory was based on previous literature reviews 1 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 and on the REF2014 criteria. 10 , 21 However, we were able to develop a modified programme theory on the basis of our realist synthesis, which highlights novel findings in terms of what really matters for successful research environments. Firstly, we found that key interventions led to both positive (subjective and objective) and negative (subjective and objective) outcomes in various contexts. Interestingly, we did not identify any outcomes relating to research impact despite impact nowadays being considered a prominent marker of research success, alongside quantitative metrics such as number of publications, grant income and h‐indices. 21 Secondly, we found that disciplinary contexts appeared to be less influential than individual, local and institutional contexts. Finally, our modified programme theory demonstrates a complex interplay among three cross‐cutting mechanisms (time, researcher identity and relationships) as mechanisms underpinning both successful and unsuccessful research environments.

Key findings and comparisons with the existing literature

Our research supports the findings of earlier reviews 1 , 5 , 6 , 7 regarding the importance of having a clear research strategy, an organisation that values research, research‐oriented leadership, access to resources (such as people, funding, research facilities and time), and meaningful relationships. However, our research extends these findings considerably by flagging up the indication that a clear linear relationship, whereby the presence of these interventions will necessarily result in a successful research environment, does not exist. For example, instituting a research strategy can have negative effects if the indicators are seen as overly narrow in focus or output‐oriented. 38 , 40 , 46 , 47 , 64 Similarly, project money can lead to the employment of more part‐time staff on fixed‐term contracts, which results in instability, turnover and lack of research team expertise. 40 , 67 , 71

Our findings indicate that the interplays among time, identity and relationships are important considerations when implementing interventions promoting research environments. Although time was identified as an important mechanism affecting research outcomes within the majority of papers, researcher identity positively affected research outcomes even in time‐poor situations. Indeed, we found that identity acted as a mechanism for research productivity that could overcome limited time through individuals efficiently finding time to prioritise research through their motivation and resilience. 35 , 43 Time was therefore more than just time spent doing research, but also included investment in developing a researcher identity and relationships with other researchers over time. 37 , 38 , 41 , 48 , 49 , 54 , 59 , 61 , 63 , 67 , 69 Relationship‐building interventions were also found to be effective in supporting difficult identity transitions into research faced by ECRs and those with first‐career practitioner backgrounds. Supportive leadership, as a particular form of relationship, could be seen as an enabler to the provision of protected time and a reasonable workload, allowing time for research and for researcher identity formation. 34 , 38 , 46 , 48 Indeed, our realist synthesis findings highlight the central importance of researcher identity and thus offer a novel explanation for why research environments may not flourish even in the presence of a research strategy, resources (e.g. time) and valuing of research.

Researcher identity is complex and intersects with other identities such as those of practitioner, teacher, leader and so on. Brew et al. 39 , 73 , 74 explored researcher identification and productivity by asking researchers if they considered themselves to be ‘research‐active’ and part of a research team. Those who identified as researchers prioritised their work differently: those who were highly productive prioritised research, whereas those in the low‐productivity group prioritised teaching. 73 Interestingly, highly productive researchers tended to view research as a social phenomenon with publications, presentations and grants being ‘traded’ in academic networks. Brew et al. 39 explain that: ‘…the trading view relates to a self‐generating researcher identity. Researcher identity develops in the act of publication, networks, collaborations and peer review. These activities support a person's identification as a researcher. They also, in turn, influence performance measures and metrics.’ Although the relationships among identity, identification and productivity are clearly complex, we explored a broader range of metrics in our realist synthesis than just productivity.

Methodological strengths and limitations

This is the first study to explore this important topic using realist synthesis to better understand the influence of context and how particular interventions lead to outcomes. We followed RAMESES 20 guidelines and adopted a rigorous team‐based approach to each analytic stage, conducting regular quality checks. The search was not exhaustive as we could have ‘exploded’ the interventions and performed a comprehensive review of each in its own right (e.g. mentoring). However, for pragmatic reasons and to answer our broad research questions, we chose not to do this, as suggested by Wong et al. 20 Although all members of the team had been involved in realist syntheses previously, the process remained messy as we dealt with complex phenomena. The messiness often lies in untangling CMOCs and identifying recurrent patterns in the large amounts of literature reviewed.

Implications for education and research

Our findings suggest that interventions related to research strategy, people, IIF and collaboration are supported under the ‘right’ conditions. We need to focus on time, identity and relationships (including leadership) in order to better mobilise the interventions to promote successful research environments.

Individuals need to reflect on how and why they identify as researchers, including their conceptions of research and their working towards the development of a researcher identity such that research is internally motivated rather than just externally driven. Those who are second‐career researchers or those with significant teaching or practitioner roles could seek to align research with their practice while they establish wider research networks.

We recommend that research leaders support individuals to develop their researcher identity, be seen to value research, recognise that research takes time, and provide access to opportunities promoting research capacity building, strong relationships and collaboration. Leaders, for example, may introduce interventions that promote researcher identities and build research relationships (e.g. collaborations, networking, mentoring, research groups etc.), paying attention to the ways in which competitive or collaborative cultures are fostered. Browne et al. 75 recently recommended discussions around four categories for promoting identity transition: reflection on self (values, experiences and expectations); consideration of the situation (circumstances, concerns); support (what is available and what is needed), and strategies (personal strategies to cope with change and thrive). With the professionalisation of medical education, 76 research units are increasingly likely to contain a mixture of first‐ and second‐career researchers, and our review suggests that discussions about conceptions of research and researcher identity would be valuable.

Finally, organisations need to value research and provide access to resources and research capacity‐building activities. Within the managerialist cultures of HEIs, compliance and counting have already become dominant discourses in terms of promotion and success. Policymakers should therefore consider ways in which HEIs recognise, incentivise and reward research in all its forms (including subjective and objective measures of quantity, quality and impact) to determine the full effects of their policies on research environments.

Future research would benefit from further exploration of the interplay among time, identities and relationships (including leadership) in different contexts using realist evaluation. 77 Specifically, as part of realist approaches, longitudinal audio‐diaries 78 could be employed to explore researcher identity transitions over time, particularly for first‐career practitioners transitioning into second‐career researchers.

Contributors

RA and CER were responsible for the conception of the synthesis. All authors contributed to the protocol development. RA and PESC carried out the database searches. All authors sifted for relevance and rigour, analysed the papers and contributed to the writing of the article. All authors approved the final manuscript for publication.

Conflicts of interest

Ethical approval.

not required.

Supporting information

Table S1. Definitions of key terms.

Table S6. Contexts, interventions, mechanisms and outcomes identified in individual studies.

Acknowledgements

we thank Andy Jackson, Learning and Teaching Librarian, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK, for his advice and help in developing our literature searches. We also thank Laura McDonald, Paul McLean and Eilidh Dear, who were medical students at the University of Dundee, for their help with database searches and with sifting papers for relevance and rigour. We would also like to thank Chau Khuong, Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, for her work in designing Figs ​ Figs1 1 and ​ and3 3 .

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Student Theses 2001-2013

Theses/dissertations from 2017 2017.

The Disappearing Wetland Act: Climate Change, Development, and Protection , Jessica P. Doughty

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

The Centrality of Ecological Design: Achieving Sustainability in an Era of Free-Market Capitalist Framework , Eddy Andrade

A Vicious CERCLA, Or The Twilight of the Superfund , Donald Borenstein

Saving the World’s Remaining Tigers: Panthera’s Work and the Role of Non-Profits in Wildlife Conservation , John Byrne

New York City’s Water Challenges: History, Politics, and Design , Jessica Crowley

Giving Back to the Community: Addressing the Environmental Literacy Gap Through Socially and Environmentally Responsible Business Practices , David Garcia

Wasting Plates: Addressing Food Waste in the United States , Sarah Geuss

Too Pig to Fail: Considering Regulatory Solutions to the Environmental Damages Caused by Industrial Hog Farms in North Carolina , Samir Hafez

Sandy and the City: The Need for Coastal Policy Reform , Jonathan Hilburg

Drilling for Arctic Oil: Is it Worth the Risk? , Emily Kain

The Pedestrianization of New York City: An Environmental History and Critique of Urban Motorization and A Look at New York City’s New Era of Planning , Anna Kobara

Hurricane Sandy: Using Environmental History, Economics, Politics and Urban Planning to Prepare For the Next One , Julia Maguire

Our Failing Food System: Productivity Versus Sustainability , Alyson Murphy

Exploring the Drivers of CSR and Creating a Sustainable Corporate Institution: Environmental Education, Politics, and Business Practices , Eric Osuna

Composting Food Waste: A Method That Can Improve Soil Quality and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions , Gentiana Quni

Assessment of Impact of Socioeconomic Factors on Conservation Awareness in the Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystem , Karianne Rivera

The Sustainable Future of the Metropolis: Greening New York City Building By Building , Lizbeth Sanchez

Trash Talk: Solid Waste Disposal in New York City , Alexander Williams

Hurricane Sandy: A Chance to Identify Vulnerabilities, Learn from the Past, and Increase Future Resiliency , Julianne Yee

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Going Green at New York-Presbyterian: Hospitals As Sustainable Businesses , Samantha Allegro

A Stronger Role For the United States President in Environmental Policy , Elizabeth Anderson

Simulating Climate Risk Into Markets and Policies: A New Approach to Financial Analysis and Policy Formation , Miguel Bantigue

Environmental Education Reform: Using Experiential Learning to Influence Environmental Policy-Making By Fostering a Sense of Environmental Citizenship and Eco-Literacy , Nicol Belletiere

Internship Report: Earthjustice & the Fracking Battle in New York's Marcellus Shale , John Byrne

Coal: How We Achieved Our Dependency and Its True Cost , Kelly Caggiano

Recycling Furniture: The Ecological, Economic and Social Benefits , Michele Calabrese

Internship Report UNEP: The Effects of Climate Change in Arctic Zones , Diana Cartaya-Acosta

Environmental Racism in South Africa: A Sustainable Green Solution , Danielle Darmofal

The Bronx, Beavers and Birthrights: The Case For Urban Wildlife , Richard Day

The Economics of Biodiversity , Paige Doyle

Environmental Communications: Case Study of New York City's Double Crested Cormorant , Marisa Galdi

Not a Walk In the Park: Environmental Justice in New York City , Lindsey Grier

The Economic and Environmental Justice Implications of Hydraulic Fracturing in 21st Century North America , Katie Medved

The Bottling Craze: Exposing the Environmental Effects of Bottled Vs. Tap Water , Michele Paccagnini

How the United States Will Find a Sustainable Future Through Increased Nuclear Productivity , Ian Pruitt

Group For the East End: The Role of Childhood Environmental Education in Improving Learning Behaviors and the Health of Humans and the Environment , Brian Riley

The Role of Modern Zoos in Wildlife Conservation: From the WCS to the Wild , John Scott

Global Climate Change Vs. Global Warming: What Is the Difference "Global Climate Change" and "Global Warming"? , Nadia Seeteram

Lost in Translation: Environmental Communication Issues in Media and Politics , Carolyn Wegemann

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

The Ins and Outs of Corporate Greenwashing , Jennifer Bender

A River Runs Through It: Community Access to the Bronx River in Tremont and Hunts Point , Matthew Bodnar

The Future is Green; Urban Agriculture in the Bronx , Patty Gouris

All in Our Backyard: Exploring how Environmental Discrimination Affects Health and Social Conditions in the South Bronx , Mireille Martineau

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

The Bronx River Alliance: A Model Community Action Organization And an Internship in Development , John Hinck

Enrique Reef: Degradation and Protective Measures , Dana Mitchell

The Human Population Growth and its Ecological Consequences on Kenya and Tanzania , Lauren Noll

Environmental Consciousness: Human Motivation for Thinking Ecologically , Rob Pigue

Economics of Carbon Regulation: An Exploration to the Nuance of Carbon Regulation , Timothy J. Schwartz

New York Botanical Garden Internship: From Photography to Policy , Christine Willeford

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Environmental Health and Climate Change: The Case of Lyme Disease , Matthew Abad

Recycling Tendencies of Fordham University's Population , Jeremy Aiss, Vincent Ammirato, Anamarie Beluch, and Christopher Torres

The Business of Sustainability , Andrea Brady

Waste Mismanagement: Fighting Environmental Injustice in Mott Haven and Hunts Point , Elizabeth Friedrich

Environmental Internship & The Fordham Eco-Roof Proposal , Anthony Giovannone

The Putnam Railroad Corridor Restoration Project: A Comprehensive Plan for Paired Ecological Restoration and Greenway Construction , Patrick J. Hopkins Jr.

Land Use Policy and Development on Long Island , Richard Murdocco

From the Bronx into the Wild! My Adventurous Experience at the Bronx Zoo , Lauren Noll

For the Birds! , Robert Patterson

Managing Infestation of the Invasive Viburnum Leaf Beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni) at the New York Botanical Garden , Gregory Russo

Environmental History of Japan , Amy Seagroves

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

A Healthy Environment is a Healthy Body , Matthew Abad

Stormwater Runoff, Combined Sewer Overflow, and Environmental Justice in the Bronx , Natalie Collao

Solving a Crisis: Water Quality & Storm Water Infrastructure in New York City , Kelsey Ripper

The New Social Movement: Environmental Justice in the Bronx , Kelsey Ripper

Environmental Justice and Street Science: A Fusion of Community Knowledge and Environmental Health Justice to Address the Asthma Epidemic in Urban Communities , Natalie Robiou

Urban Wildlife and Leopold’s Land Ethic: “The squirrels on a college campus convey the same lesson as the redwoods. . . .” , Natalie Robiou

Unpasteurized Milk and Soft Cheese Outbreaks: An Overview of Consumer Safety , Taygan Yilmaz

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

The Environmental Justice Movement in the United States , Harrison Delfin

Natural River Restoration in Urban Ecology: The Bronx River , Samuel P. Loor

Theses/Dissertations from 2006 2006

The H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus: Globalization, Climate Change, and Other Anthropogenic Factors in New Emergent Diseases , Quan Luong

The Environmental Effects of War , Philip Swintek

Theses/Dissertations from 2005 2005

Identification of Genetically Modified Organisms in Foodstuffs , Anamarie Beluch

The Moral Dilemma of Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs) , Anamarie Beluch

Theses/Dissertations from 2003 2003

The History of Community Gardens in New York City: The Role of Urban Agriculture and Green Roofs in Addressing Environmental Racism , Rosamarie Ridge

Theses/Dissertations from 2002 2002

Bronx River Restoration: Report and Assessment , Teresa Crimmens

Environmental Audit of the Rose Hill Campus , Nicole Marshall, Maria Nissi, Brian Flaherty, Carl Van Ostrand, and Ian McClelland

Theses/Dissertations from 2001 2001

Bronx River Restoration: Report and Assessment , Nicole Marshall

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Nitrous Oxide Exposure in the Workplace: A Study of Pediatric Dental Clinics in Saudi Arabia , Badr Alhemayyed

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Grip Characterization of Protective Gloves , Doris Burns

A systematic literature review of the prevalence, distribution, exposure, and human health risks of tire microplastics and the contribution of their physicochemically diverse properties , Luke Glastad

Hepatocyte-Hepatic Stellate Cell Axis in Potentiation of Alcohol and HIV-Induced Liver Injury , Moses O. New-Aaron

Agrichemicals (Nitrate and Atrazine) In Drinking Water and Adverse Health Outcomes in Children in Nebraska , Balkissa S. Ouattara

Environmental exposures and human health challenges: Evidence-based insights from health surveillance systems , Jagadeesh Puvvula

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Investigation of Environmental Lead Exposures in Children at A Midwestern City with Superfund Site , Zijian Qin

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Modulation of Estrogen Metabolism and Prevention of Pathologies , Bodhisattwa Mondal

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Hearing Loss and Hearing Protection Use Among Midwestern Farmers , Josie J. Ehlers

An Assessment of Preparations Made in the United States for Highly Hazardous Communicable Diseases Following the 2014-2016 Ebola Virus Disease Epidemic , Jocelyn J. Herstein

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Organizational Effects of Defeminizing Toxicants: Lessons Learned From an Environmental Sentinel Organism, The Fathead Minnow. , Jonathan Ali

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Aldehyde Adducts and Lung Injury , Muna Sapkota

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Postural Responses to Perturbations of the Vestibular System During Walking in Healthy Young and Older Adults , Jung Hung Chien

Risk factors for agricultural injury : an evaluation using systematic review and injury surveillance , Rohan Mahadeo Jadhav

Risk Factors for Agricultural Injury: An Evaluation Using Systematic Review and Injury Surveillance , Rohan Mahadeo Jadhav

Occupational exposure to isoflurane anesthetic gas in the research environment , Andrea R. Mulvenon

Community, environmental, and occupational health risks associated with fossil fuel energy production , Mark A. Shepherd

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Functional and proteomic study of KIAA1199 in breast cancer , Hong Peng

Characterization of 3-Dehydroquinate Dehydratase from Francisella tularensis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Scott Reiling

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Perception and production of complex movement variability , Joshua Lewis Haworth

Quantifying stride-to-stride fluctuations in amputee gait: implications for improved rehabilitation , Shane R. Wurdeman

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Cigarette smoke extract (CSE) stimulates vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) release by human lung fibroblasts through TGF-beta/Smad3 pathway , Maha Farid

Quantitative proteomics and its application in studying the functions of microrna-155 in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma , Xin Huang

Biomarkers for organophosphorus agent exposure , Wei Jiang

Exposure to tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate as a possible explanation of aerotoxic syndrome , Mariya Sergeyevna Liyasova

Reducing the impact of distraction using augmented feedback on robot-assisted surgical skills training , Irene H. Suh

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

Protein drug delivery using block ionomer complexes , Andrea Rose Mulvenon

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

Inhibition of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) on the chemosensitivity of mantle cell lymphoma to agents that induce DNA strand breaks , Radha M. Golla

Evaluation of the mode of action and human relevance of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma agonist-induced hemangiosarcomas in mice , Satoko Kakiuchi-Kiyota

Reaction of human albumin with aspirin in vitro : mass spectrometric identification of acetylated amino acids , Mariya Sergeyevna Liyasova

Risk of non-hodgkin lymphoma and drinking water contaminants in Nebraska : atrazine and nitrate , Martha Grace Rhoades

Endocrine disruption in agriculturally-intense Nebraska watersheds , Marlo K. Sellin

Association of estrogen metabolism and risk of breast or prostate cancer or non-hodgkin lymphoma : detection of novel biomarkers from case-control studies , Li Yang

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

The XRCC1 Arg399GIn polymorphism in breast cancer , Mohamed Fouad Irbrahim Ali

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Critical role of estrogen metabolizing enzymes in breast cancer initiation via a direct genotoxic mechanism , Fang Lu

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Research Environment

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• First Online: 28 March 2023

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• Lana Barać   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0170-5972 3  

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Successful research environment requires joint effort by individual researchers, research groups and the organization. This chapter describes the basic principles and good research practices in the context of the research environment and serves as a guide to good, responsible research for research newcomers – researchers at the beginning of their scientific career. In this chapter we will help you navigate the organizational pathway to doing good research. The first step to understanding your rights, obligations and responsibilities in research is knowing that they exist. This chapter offers an introductory level orientation to codes, rules and regulations but also serves as a guide on how to identify whether your organization goes above and beyond offering guidance and assistance regarding research integrity or whether it provides a bare minimum or even nothing at all, and who/what you can turn to in the latter case. Furthermore, this chapter also describes the responsibilities that you as a researcher have towards the organisation regarding the importance of maintaining research integrity, so that you are aware of your accountability and the possible consequences if you disregard organizational responsibility for responsible research.

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• Research climate
• Research culture
• Research ethics structures
• Research integrity structures

What This Chapter Is About

Successful research environment requires joint effort by individual researchers, research groups and the organization. This chapter describes the basic principles and good research practices in the context of research environment and serves as a guide to good, responsible research for research newcomers – researchers at the beginning of their scientific career. In this chapter we will help you navigate the organizational pathway to doing good research. The first step to understanding your rights, obligations and responsibilities in research is knowing that they exist. This chapter offers an introductory level orientation to codes, rules and regulations but also serves as a guide on how to identify whether your organization goes above and beyond offering guidance and assistance regarding research integrity or whether it provides a bare minimum or even nothing at all, and who/what you can turn to in the latter case. Furthermore, this chapter also describes the responsibilities that you as a researcher have towards the organisation regarding the importance of maintaining research integrity, so that you are aware of your accountability and the possible consequences if you disregard organizational responsibility for responsible research.

Case Scenario: Research Environment and Research Integrity

This hypothetical scenario was adapted from a narrative concerning the links between research environments and research integrity. The case scenario was developed by the Members of The Embassy of Good Science and is available at the Embassy of Good Science . The case below is published under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license, version 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0).

After 6 months of working as a novice researcher in a research lab at a university school, you meet up with a colleague who graduated with you and is now working as a novice researcher in a commercial research organization. She tells you that she may have encountered a potential research misconduct concerning intellectual property. She knew what she had to do because the company is very committed to making sure all employees are fully informed about all existing rules and regulations. Her action prevented the misconduct. That conversation made you think that you were never been briefed or informed in detail about rules and regulations regarding research when you signed your employment contract with your organization. You heard your mentor casually mention “standard rules of conduct in research,” expecting you to know what they are. The day after your meeting with your colleague, you check your school’s webpages for information on research integrity. Although there is no explicit mention of research integrity, your University’s website refers to its own code of conduct as well as the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. Furthermore, a university-wide academic integrity complaints procedure and a research integrity committee are mentioned but details of which, however, cannot be found on the university’s public webpages. After talking to your fellow novice researchers, you realize that they too are uncertain about whether your school has written guidelines for research integrity. You also realize that they feel pressurized to generate more and more research outputs and that insecurity, linked to short-term contracts and scarce opportunities for professional advancement, means that they perceive the incentives to succeed in research and academia as outweighing the incentives to comply with the norms of good research practices. They not only feel that your school does not adequately promote research integrity but that that pressure comes within the organization, also as a result of the culture of “ publish or perish ” After talking to them you realise that there is more to this problem than just ignorance or integrity issues with individual novice researchers and that their views could indicate an environmental problem in academia.

Questions for You

In light of this case scenario, what do you think which person(s) or groups should be responsible for the early-career researchers’ general lack of knowledge concerning the university’s research integrity guidelines, codes of conduct and complaints procedures? What are the reasons for your answer?

In what ways could a research organization make its research integrity standards, guidelines and processes more visible to its researchers, especially early-career researchers? What initiatives should be promoted in a research organization in order to engage early-career researchers with research integrity standards, guidelines and processes?

Thinking about the ways in which your organization currently engages early-career researchers with research integrity standards, guidelines and processes, what could be done to improve such engagement at the level of your organization and the level of your department or laboratory?

The Responsibilities of the Organization: Above and Beyond, or the Bare Minimum?

Good research practice from the european code of conduct for research integrity:.

Research institutions and organisations promote awareness and ensure a prevailing culture of research integrity .

When starting at a new job in a new research organization you have to understand that an organization is a living organism – a system with organized structure that functions as an individual entity and is, as all organisms are, prone to constant change. One change that has been having a huge momentum in Europe in recent years is the initiative to encourage activities that show commitment of organizations to make research integrity (RI) and responsible research in general as a top priority. Empowering sound and verifiable research and fostering a research integrity culture, thus creating a proper research environment, is now empowered by embedding these principles as requirements in EU funding schemes. As research environment is a dimension that needs to be considered by all involved stakeholders, activities conducted in order to foster good research practices and a culture of research integrity will impact researchers at all levels.

When we talk about organization as a system, the terms organizational climate and organizational culture are sometimes used interchangeably or considered as complementary constructs. The two terms are different. Organizational climate is usually defined as shared perceptions of policies, practices and procedures experienced by the employees, as well as the behaviours the employees perceive as rewarding. It is considered to be the measurable manifestation of organizational culture , which is defined as the system of basic assumptions, deep values and beliefs that are prevalent in the organization. Organizational culture is something that has to be built, maintained and nurtured by supportive environment.

As a part of organizational culture, research integrity has become an integral part of a university’s mission, vision and strategy. For example; universities in France will, in the near future, in what seems to be the first national initiative of its kind, go as far as requiring Ph.D. recipients to take an integrity oath on the day they successfully defend their thesis. Research integrity is also dependent on human factors – collegiality, openness, reflection, shared responsibility and work satisfaction are vital elements of a successful working environment. As a novice researcher, you should try, from the very beginning of your career, to comply with the highest standards of ethics and integrity in the performance of your research.

How can you figure out the ethical landscape at the very start of your career? The first step to understanding your rights, obligations and responsibilities is knowing that they exist .

Rules, codes and regulations can be created by the organization itself but also by national or international bodies. They can have different names and vary in scope, but they are always a written set of instructions issued by an organization. Depending on the scope of action, codes can cover issues prescribed by legal regulations such as: human subject’s protection, animal care, intellectual property and confidentiality, legality and mechanisms to identify and procedure for reporting and dealing with research misconduct. Other than binding legal issues, codes can also cover fundamental principles of research which serve organisations in creating and preserving an environment for responsible research. Fundamental principles presented by the most widely recognized and accepted documents – European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (All European Academies 2017) and Fostering Integrity in Research (US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2017), might not be identical in the naming of the principles but the meaning of the principles in RI perspective is similar (Table 1.1 ).

Not all research or academic organizations are as big or as well developed to have the resources to promptly and adequately inform you about all rules and obligations regarding research. That does not mean you are not required to follow them or that your rights are not protected by them. Organizational guides and codes should be easily accessible on the organization’s webpages and/or intranet. You should be provided with adequate training, tailored to the research discipline and the type of organization, and briefed about standard rules of conduct in research. Bear in mind that the organizational support structure is usually proportional to the size and complexity of the organization. Apart from having binding documents about responsible research, your organization should have established channels to facilitate an open dialogue at and between all levels; from management and senior researchers to novice researchers and other members of staff. Ideally, your organization should, apart from the standard rules and regulations, develop and implement a research integrity promotion plan (RIPP). This is a document that describes, on a general level, how the organization promotes research integrity and which concrete methods are employed or are being developed to foster research integrity and to deal with allegations of breaches of research integrity. Procedures to increase transparency of research investigation procedure and safe and effective whistle-blowing channels and the protection of alleged perpetrators should also be implemented in line with the legal principle of the presumption of innocence – someone accused of research misconduct is considered innocent until proven guilty.

When navigating the research environment, it is always advisable to consider the human factor. Some organizations are very organized. Some are not. Even though an organization may be committed to following the prescribed rules, do not expect to be given a clear and user-friendly version of these rules upon arrival. Some organizations have rules and regulations because they had to comply with national or international regulations. Other organizations have them because the management is devoted to actively promoting responsible research. Some organizations are understaffed, so the lack of organizational documents may not necessarily reflect the moral of the organization. In brief, even if your organization does not have instructions for the new employees written on a (virtual) bulletin board, that does not mean that they do not exist, so no matter whether you were briefed or not these rules apply to you and you should be governed by those rules.

Here is some advice for you on how to navigate responsible research environment in your organization:

Always get familiar with existing laws, codes and regulations in the organization and country where you work. If you are a member of a professional organization or if you are professionally bound to the code of ethics of your profession, check whether the professional code is aligned with that of your organisation. Some organizations may provide a checklist with sources and links to different guidelines and rules of procedure for good research practice available online. Do not forget to get familiar with international principles and EU standards such as The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity , principles prescribed for different professions (e.g., The Declaration of Helsinki or Convention on Biological Diversity ) and national guidelines, but first and foremost to the documents and guidance provided by your organization.

Consider that different views of research ethics around the world reflect differences in culture and legal frameworks, which can lead to differences in regulations. For example, the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has a very expansive definition of personal information that may warrant protection, whereas in the United States (US), there is a narrower (and often domain-specific) characterization of privacy-sensitive information. Even within the EU, there are differences among EU member countries – the examples are different laws on stem-cell research and human embryos. Differences in regulations unfortunately may lead to ethics dumping – the practice of researchers trained in cultures with rigorous ethical standards to go and conduct research in countries with laxer ethical rules and oversight, in order to circumvent the regulations, policies, or processes that exist in their home countries.

Keep in mind that codes and regulations change and can evolve. For example, The Nuremberg Code; which is a set of research ethics principles for human experimentation was created by the US vs. Brandt et al. court case, as a result of the Nuremberg trials at the end of the World War 2. The core elements of the Nuremberg Code are the requirements for voluntary and informed consent, a favourable risk/benefit analysis, and the right to withdraw from a study without consequences. That standard was confirmed in 1964, when the WMA’s Declaration of Helsinki was endorsed and again specified that experiments involving human beings needed the informed consent of participants. The Declaration of Helsinki has been updated overe the years, so make sure that you consult its latest version. Another example is the infamous Tuskegee syphilis study , funded by the US Public Health Service. The study was conducted between 1932 and 1972 at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama to evaluate the natural history of untreated syphilis in African American males. The study was conducted for 40 years without ethical review and denied participants the effective treatment for this curable disease. The study became a milestone in the history of US research regulations, as it was conducted without ethical re-evaluation in spite of both The Nuremberg Code and the Declaration of Helsinki being accepted and established as a standard during the study. The aftermath of the public disclosure of the Tuskegee study led to the establishment of the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioural Research and the National Research Act that requires the establishment of institutional review boards (IRBs) at institutions receiving federal support.

Codes and regulations can also change due to scientific advancements that lead to new fields of research (e.g., the emergence of experimental psychology) or new technologies (e.g., gene editing, artificial intelligence). The changes can also come in response to changes in cultural values and behavioural norms that evolve over time (e.g., perceptions of privacy and confidentiality).

Consider emerging ethics topics , even if they are not listed or mentioned in current codes of your organization, such as bystander risk (impacts of research on other people; e.g. genetic testing and genetic research, second-hand exposure to a contagious disease) big data and open science (concerns about the potential to compromise privacy), and citizen science (involving community participation in science, allowing the research population to become researchers).

Research institutions and organisations demonstrate leadership in providing clear policies and procedures on good research practice and the transparent and proper handling of violations.

Knowing, understanding and using existing codes and regulations for good research is important and useful, but there may be times when you are in doubt about how what is written in a code translates into real life. Therefore, it is important to learn how to interpret, assess, and apply different research rules and how to make decisions to act ethically and responsibly in different situations or at least know who to turn to when in doubt . To put it simply: pure existence of the codes does not make an ethical environment. Or, in words of Aristotle: “One swallow does not a summer make.”

If codes, rules and regulations are the foundation of research integrity culture, building strong pillars to rest upon, establishing research ethics structures is the next crucial step for organizations to ensure proper research environment.

Different organizations may have different supportive mechanisms to ensure that researchers adhere to research ethics and integrity requirements. Depending on the size and the type of the organization, key organizational bodies and staff dealing with research ethics and integrity might quite vary in name and scope of work. It is important to understand that, depending on type of research organisation, you may encounter organisational bodies (or individuals) with various scope of activities regarding research ethics and integrity. This may seem confusing at first, as the concepts of ethics and integrity may seem intertwined and actually, for the most part, they are. Research ethics (RE) is the term that encompassed fundamental moral principles and research integrity (RI) is the quality of having moral principles, defined as active adherence to the ethical principles and professional standards essential for the responsible practice of research. Both of them are a necessary part of responsible conduct of research.

Ideally, your organisation will have all necessary structures, processes, and dedicated and adequately trained staff to uphold best research practices and standards, and deal with procedures relevant to the various research areas and disciplines within the organisation. Listed below are some of the common research ethics and integrity bodies (names might vary). If there is only one of these at your organisation, the scope of their responsibilities is probably wider and you can still contact them regarding any doubt and insecurity you might have about responsible research.

Ethics Committee or Institutional Review Board is probably the most common body at academic and research organizations, because it has the longest history. Research Ethics Committees were developed after the World War 2, particularly in response to The Nuremberg Trials, as bodies responsible for oversight of medical or human research studies. The role of an Ethics Committee is to scrutinise research proposals and ensure that the proposed research adequately addressed all relevant ethics issues. This means that they make sure that proposed research protocols protect rights, safety, dignity and well-being of participants, that research protocols involving animals follow the highest animal care standards and that they facilitate and promote ethical research that is of potential benefit to participants, science and society. In smaller organisations that do not necessarily have other bodies, the role of the Ethics Committee would also be to facilitate and promote research integrity and good research practices, to have mechanisms to identify and procedure for reporting and dealing with allegations of breaches of research integrity (research misconduct).

Board/Office/ Commission for Research Integrity is a body that promotes responsible research conduct, serves as a knowledge base for questions regarding research integrity and research misconduct, informs on policies and procedures in and outside of the organization, handles allegations of research misconduct and conducts investigations, advises on administrative action and also responds to allegations of retaliation against whistle-blowers. It is responsible for providing advice for researchers on how to adhere to responsible research practices, usually through guidelines, checklists and other documents in which good research practices are presented. The organisational structures of RI committees and their responsibilities regarding cases of research misconduct may vary depending on the organisational or national regulations. For example, the Office for Research Integrity in the US is a governmental body that has monitoring and oversight role to ensure that researchers and organisations which receive federal funding for health research comply with existing regulations; it offers support to further good practice research and promote integrity and high ethical standards, as well as to have robust and fair methods to address poor research practices and misconduct.

Another individual position you may encounter at your organisation is the Research Integrity Officer (RIO) , a professional with a complex role. An organisation’s RIO promotes responsible research, conducts research training, discourages research misconduct, and deals with allegations of or evidence of possible research misconduct. The details of an RIO’s job vary from country to country, but the position is mandatory in many. For example, in US organisations, a RIO serves as the liaison between the federal Office for Research Integrity and the organisation of the researchers. In the EU, countries have different requirements and roles for their RIOs, but their task is essentially the same. Some countries do not have such bodies, and their role is most often taken by Ethics Committees.

Your organisation may have a Research Integrity Ombudsperson or Confidential Advisor on Scientific Integrity or Research Integrity Advisor . The aim of such an advisor is to promote fair, non-discriminatory and equitable treatment related to research integrity within the organisation and improve the overall quality of the research working environment. Such a position should be well known in the organisation, and there should be a low threshold for contacting this person. Researchers who experience research integrity dilemmas or have come into an integrity-related conflict should be able to discuss their case with the ombudsperson in a strictly confidential manner. The function of the ombudsperson should be clearly separated from a formal research integrity committee or ethics committee, so that it is clear to researchers that contacting the ombudsperson does not imply a formal registration of an allegation but a confidential and informal assistance in resolving research work-related conflicts, disputes and grievances (including, but not limited to complaints/appeals of researchers regarding conflicts between supervisor(s) and early-stage researchers).

Research institutions and organisations support proper infrastructure for the management and protection of data and research materials in all their forms (encompassing qualitative and quantitative data, protocols, processes, other research artefacts and associated metadata) that are necessary for reproducibility, traceability and accountability.

Even as an early-career researcher you probably realise that, while doing research, dealing with a fair amount of different types of data is inevitable. Ten years ago the Science journal polled their peer reviewers from the previous year on the availability and use of research data, and, about half of those polled stored their data only in their laboratories. If you had walked in any type of research organisation 10 years ago you would have had probably been briefed about keeping your lab notebook records and advised about keeping your data somewhere other than your lab desktop computer. Today, when we talk about data management, we go well beyond keeping your lab or research notebook in order. While maintaining a lab notebook is still essential for anybody performing research as a document of completed work so that research can be replicated and validated; or a legal document to prove intellectual property/invention, data management on an organisational level entails much more . It comprises the infrastructure (technology, services and staff support), training for researchers, and policies on data management (DMPs). Therefore, you should expect from your organisation to provide instructions and policies regarding data curation (repositories), management, use, access, publishing, and sharing. Regarding the technology for data management, your organisation should provide appropriate storage media that enables collecting, organizing, protecting, storing, and sharing data. It should also inform you about available data repositories, networks and different authentication systems. Research organisations should make DMPs easily accessible and organisations’ websites should provide extensive information about the concept of data sharing in general, as well as detailed information on DMP requirements and how to comply with them. Services and staff support for data management are highly dependent on the amount of funding and size of an organisation because the amount of work and time involved in these processes is extensive and costly. Some organisations have whole departments and others at best a single person for data management.

In 2019, Science Europe released its Practical Guide to the International Alignment of Research Data Management , and, as a follow-up, compiled the document to showcase some best practices. The document also demonstrated the variability of data management processes in different organisations. Although the readiness to develop DMPs can differ according to discipline, most research funders require researchers to include a DMP in their project proposals. You should expect from your organisation to have in place the structures and procedures to facilitate data management and curation procedures that are aligned with FAIR principles, which say that data should be F indable, A ccessible, I nteroperable, and R eusable. Bear in mind that researchers’ knowledge about research data management could be limited in countries and organisations where open science policies are not well developed. This leads to misunderstandings about the need to store and archive data. For detailed guidance on data practices and management throughout the lifecycle of research data and instructions to preparation of data management plans (DMPs) see Chap. 5 .

Research institutions and organisations reward open and reproducible practices in hiring and promotion of researchers.

No matter whether you have been in research for some time or you are a novice researcher, you have probably heard the catchphrase “ publish or perish !” because it has been uttered in whisper by stressed and burned-out researchers all over the world for years, putting pressures on individual integrity and potentially fostering practices harmful to scientific research. Publish or perish culture thrives on metrics (number of articles published and impact factors of journals) but fails to adequately take societal and broader impact into account . Some aspects of research are indeed quantifiable and cannot be and will not be ignored, but recent efforts towards more inclusive evaluation scheme of research and researchers could be a “game-changer”, meaning that yes, you are still required to publish, but the scientific efforts that translate better to a broader community will not be ignored.

When it comes to hiring and promotion in research, the need for transparency should be self-explanatory, but what does promoting open practices mean in reality? Geographically speaking, Europe might be ahead of the curve in endorsing and implementing changes as the new framework programme Horizon Europe makes Open Science mandatory throughout the programme and includes Open Innovation as one of three framework pillars. What does this mean for you? Although the attitude and the level of commitment of the organisation toward endorsing open science principles could vary and very much depend on the human factor, there is no reason for you not to be aware of the change to come and strive to fulfil the general idea of quality . Producing quality science would imply producing substantive, impactful science , science that reaches broader audience and addresses valuable questions, but is also reliable enough to build upon. This mean that evaluation and appraisal procedures may assess a researcher’s contribution to addressing societal needs and publishing all research completely and transparently, regardless of whether the results were positive or negative. This would also imply implementing open research practices and embedding these skills in training of early-career researchers, making preliminary results and final results available to the general public, potential users and the research community, in order to facilitate broader assessment and accountability of research.

There are also indications that the EU is moving towards a structured CV which would include Responsible Indicators for Assessing Scientists (RIAS), and other related information. For example; the department of psychology at LMU München added a paragraph to a professorship job advertisement which asks for an open science statement from the candidates: “Our department embraces the values of open science and strives for replicable and reproducible research. For this goal we support transparent research with open data, open material, and pre-registrations. Candidates are asked to describe in what way they already pursued and plan to pursue these goals.” Another example is University of Liège , where depositing papers in the repository is now the sole mechanism for submitting them to be considered when researchers underwent performance review.

Check whether your organisation has procedures related to the publication and communication of research results, such as preregistration, preprints, and online repositories, the organisational approach to open access, FAIR data curation, expectations about the use of reporting guidelines, procedures for avoiding predatory journals, strategies for responsible peer review practices, and mechanisms to support and acknowledge public communication of research findings. Also, check whether your organisation is ahead of the curve in promoting Open Science (Fig. 1.1 ) check for procedures and practices through the organisation’s own website or other established platforms on organisational or national level, check whether your organisation has signed any declaration relevant to Open Science .

Core principles of Open Science. For details, see the FOSTER project

The Responsibilities of the Researcher

Ask not what your organisation can do for you – ask what you can do for your organisation.

While The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (ECoC RI) provides general guidance for good research practices and serves as a framework for self-regulation, the document that details your role, responsibilities and entitlements as a researcher is The European Charter for Researchers . The Charter is a set of general principles and requirements that addresses all researchers in the European Union at all stages of their career, covers all fields of research and takes into account the multiple roles that researchers can have.

Being a researcher is highly related to context and not defined only by job positions, formal qualifications level of education or by seniority at work. According to The Frascati definition ; Researchers are professionals engaged in the conception or creation of new knowledge . They conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models, techniques instrumentation, software or operational methods. The tasks performed depend on job characteristics and personal strengths but have to be related to research and innovation. Activities of a researcher are many, but first and foremost entail: conducting and evaluating research and innovation, applying for research funding, managing projects and teams, managing, sharing and transferring the generated knowledge (including through scholarly communication, science communication to society, knowledge management for policy, and knowledge transfer to industry) and higher education teaching.

As an early-career researcher, you should keep in mind that everything you do reflects upon your organisation . So be sure to comply with the highest values and ethical standards and aim at excellence. Even as a novice researcher, at a beginning of your career be aware that your organisation will treat you as a responsible adult and will hold you accountable . Also, depending on the applicable rules, your organisation might be held accountable for your wrongdoing, so, even if you are there for a brief amount of time (post-doctoral or project-based position) remember that you are a part of the research environment and are expected to contribute to a positive, fair and stimulating research culture.

Science is by definition a joint endeavour and you should learn to accept responsibility because that is what being accountable entails. Accountability refers to an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions, meaning that, when individuals are accountable, they understand and accept the consequences of their actions for the areas in which they assume responsibility. Remember that you, as an employee, have contractual and legal obligations. That basically means that you are liable in case of breach of contract and you have to adhere to such regulations by delivering the required results (e.g. thesis, publications, patents, reports, new products development, etc), as set out in the terms and conditions of the contract or equivalent document. You should be familiar with the strategic goals, seek all necessary approvals before starting your research or accessing the resources provided. You should, at all times, keep a professional attitude . This included maintaining a professional etiquette at workplace – respectful and courteous demeanour towards colleagues and respect in the sense of responsibilities (e.g. informing your supervisor if you are not able to meet deadlines).

As a researcher, you should, first and foremost, focus your research for the good of mankind and for expanding the frontiers of scientific knowledge. You should be guaranteed the freedom of thought and expression , and the freedom to identify methods by which problems are solved, according to recognized ethical principles and practices. But, bear in mind that there is a difference between using research freedom and abusing it. You should, by all means, recognize the limitations to this freedom that could arise as a result of particular research circumstances or operational constraints (e.g. for budgetary or infrastructural reasons or, especially in the industrial sector, for reasons of intellectual property protection). Such limitations should not contravene recognized ethical principles and practices in research. When it comes to ethical principles , you should adhere to the recognized ethical practices and fundamental ethical principles appropriate to your discipline, as well as to ethical standards defined in different national, sectoral or organisational codes of ethics. It is highly recommended to conduct ethics self-assessment at the very beginning of planning your research. Ethics self-assessment helps getting your research protocol ethics-ready , as it may give rise to binding obligations that may later on be checked through ethics checks and reviews. Consider that ethics issues arise in many areas of research and, as of recently, major scientific journals require researchers to provide ethics committee approval before publishing research articles. You should also adopt safe working practices, in line with national legislation, including taking the necessary precautions by preparing proper back-up strategies.

As we mentioned before, Open Science practices should be the norm, especially when performing publicly funded research, as they improve the quality, efficiency, responsiveness of research and trust in science. You should guarantee open access to research publications and research data and foster innovation in sharing research knowledge as early as possible in the research process, through adequate infrastructures and tools. You should ensure, in compliance with your contractual arrangements, that the results of your research are disseminated and exploited. Be public and open about your research . There are, of course, legitimate reasons to restrict access to certain data sets (for instance in order to protect the privacy of research subjects) so be guided by the principle “ As open as possible, as closed as necessary” . Ensure that your research activities are made known to society at large in such a way that they can be understood by non-specialists, thereby improving public understanding of science. Direct engagement with the public will help researchers better understand public interest in priorities for science and technology and also their concerns.

You should seek to continually improve yourself by regularly updating and expanding your skills and competencies. This may be achieved by a variety of means including, but not restricted to, formal training, workshops, conferences and e-learning.

Do not be afraid to diversify your research career , as research community is diverse in talents and expertise and can produce a wide range of research outputs (from scholar publications to scientific advice for policy makers, science communication to the public, higher education teaching, knowledge transfer to industry, and many others). Explore different career paths within the research profession, so that your talent finds the best place to produce richer research results.

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Barać, L. (2023). Research Environment. In: Marusic, A. (eds) A Guide to Responsible Research. Collaborative Bioethics, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22412-6_1

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Outdoor Recreation and its Effect on our Relationship with The Environment , Martin Brannaman

HELD AT BAY: A CASE STUDY OF A LAKE COMMUNITY’S EFFORT TO PREVENT A ZEBRA MUSSEL INVASION , Benjamin Breske

ANALYZING RECYCLING OPTIONS FOR WIND TURBINE BLADE WASTE , Awinita Bunner

The Effects of Human Activity on Reintroduced Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) Populations , Justine Cherovsky

Eco-dystopian Novels Written By Women: Second, Third, and Fourth Wave Feminism , Trystyn Cox

HOW CAN STAKEHOLDERS IN FOOD SOVEREIGNTY ACHIEVE MORE POLITICAL POWER? , Micah Dierks

Supercritical Water Gasification and Pyrolysis – Cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch , Kelly L. Emery

Public Health Impacts of the Clothing Industry , Schafer Flowerday

THE ACCESSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF LOCAL FOODS: A SNAPSHOT FROM THE FOOD HUBS OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA , Tess Foxall

Agricultural Carbon Markets: How Could They Work? , Andrew Havens

APPARENT TEMPERATURE & RELATIVE HUMIDITY IN NEBRASKA: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ON WET BULB GLOBE TEMPERATURE (WBGT) TOOLS , Rachel T. Hines

The Evolution of Wildland Fire Risk Management , Matthew Holte

E-WASTE IMPACT ON THE HEALTH OF GUIYU, CHINA CITIZENS: A COMPARISON PRE AND POST CHINA’S PROHIBITION OF FOREIGN GARBAGE IMPORTS , Oliva Hultman

Climate Change Adaptation, Migration, and Promising Developments for Pacific Island States , Ashley Jonas

IDENTIFYING HOW SUMMER CAMP EXPERIENCES AFFECT CHILDREN’S ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY , Quinn Kimbell

Literature Review on Water Desalination Plant Production and Brine Disposal Methods , Grace Kollars

The Impact of Interactions Among Native Grassland Species: A Study of Interactions Between Two Invasive Species (Bromus tectorum and Setaria faberi) and Two Native Species (Helianthus annuus and Rudbeckia hirta) , Nash Leef

Wildfires & Prescribed Fires: Do They Impact Soil Quality? , Kate Nelson

Eastern Redcedar Reduces Regeneration and Diversity in the Forests of the Niobrara River Valley , Abigail Ridder

Greenhouse Gas Emissions During the Usage Phase of Electric Vehicles in the United States, Now and in the Future , Zach Roza

Reintroduction of the Grey Wolf , Cody Willers

University of Nebraska Sustainability Recommendations , Kat Woerner

Land-Use and Potential Effects on the Western Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma mavortium) , Emily Zappia

Audit of Waste Collected Over One Week From Superior Dental Health of Lincoln , Bryclin Alstrom

Analysis of Drinking Water Disinfection Options , Bryce Carlen

Diversification of Angiosperms During the Cretaceous Period , Sakia Fields

Distribution of Green Spaces in Omaha, Nebraska , Sofia Gavia

The Effect of Agkistrodon contortrix and Crotalus horridus Venom Toxicity on Strike Locations With Live Prey , Chase Giese

Long-Term Impacts of 2019 Flood Experiences on Nebraskans’ Climate Change Perceptions , Caitlin Kingsley

How is Remote Sensing Being Used to Prevent Wildfires Today? , Luke Lauby

Regenerative Agriculture’s Potential Carbon Storage in Nebraska Soils , Jenna McCoy

Relationship of Land Use Categories and Water Quality for Low Order Streams , Jake McEnaney

Impact of Ethnic Markets on Food Accessibility in Lincoln, NE , Connor McFayden

Mitigation Strategies for Municipal Solid Waste Generation in Lincoln , Justine Mileski

Temporal and Spatial Interactions between Coyotes and Red Foxes along the Urban-Rural Interface , Adam Mortensen

Mental Health Incorporation in Nebraskan Recovery Plans Following the 2019 Midwestern Floods , Isabelle Murray

The Effect of Drought on the Bird Species Spiza americana , Emily Nelson

The Formatting of Science Communication and How it Affects Attraction to and Understanding of Scientific Information , Connor Nichols

Effects of Land Use in Nebraska on Insect Biodiversity and Eastern Monarch Populations , Carina Olivetti

The Relationship Between Time and Plant Diversity in Prairie Restorations Within the Prairie Corridor on Haines Branch , Elizabeth Park

Precipitation Impact on Crop Yield , Ian Ritchie

Investigating Predation Risk Experienced by Wintering Birds at a Supplied-Food Garden , Madison Smart

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Understand the Behavioral Use of Single-Use Plastic Bags by Students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln , Josephine Stoessel

Sparking Awareness in Lincoln Electronic Waste Trends and Habits: A Student Behavioral Analysis , Zowie Vincent

Designing a Mobile App and Online Directory to Increase the Visibility of Environmental Organizations in a Community , Kayla Vondracek

The Effect of Urban Forests on Air Quality and Human Health , Chance Wilken

Climate Change & Grief: An Overview Of The Mental Health Effects Of Climate Change & How Biodiversity Loss In The Great Plains Affects Our Emotional Wellbeing , Luke Andersen

Lincoln, NE Composting in Restaurants , Brodie Baum

The Effect Of Wildlife Wellbeing On Environmental Concern , Laura Casne

Observing Spectral Response Differences In Freshwater Lakes Using Remote Sensing Technology , Brady Cooper

Nutritional Value of Crops affected by Elevated Carbon Dioxide Concentrations in Atmospheric Conditions , Alex Joseph Cusimano

A Comparative Analysis Of The Reception Of Laudato Si’ By Progressive And Traditional Catholics , Mikayla Dorff

PLANNING URBAN FORESTS IN A CHANGING CLIMATE , Ethan Dudden

The Role Of University Of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Biodigester On Sustainable Food Waste Reduction Within Selleck Dining Center , Jennifer Gilbert

Adventuring in the Winds: An Exploration of Water Accessibility, Keystone Species, Environmental Justice, and Forest Fires in the Wind River Range , Rhianna Giron

Environmental Factors On The Arctic Food Chain , Sydney Hansen

Incorporating Tallgrass Prairie Into Urban Environments , Daniel Hauschild

The Changing Habitat And Decline Of Ring-Necked Pheasant Populations In Otoe County, Nebraska , Jacob T. Herman

Ecological Perspectives of the Eastern Saline Wetlands Differ Between Visitors and Non-Visitors , Peter Janda

Analysis Of Trees Damaged From Flooding And Ice In Columbus, Nebraska , Alaina Kapla

The Effects Of Street Tree Site Planting Width On Canopy Width And Ability To Provide Ecosystem Services , Ryan Kendall

FUTURE IMPLICATIONS OF EXTREME HEAT ON PUBLIC HEALTH FOR THOSE LIVING IN LINCOLN, NEBRASKA , Mandy Koehler

Fungal Mycelium; The Key to a Sustainable Future , Sawyer Krivanek

Growth and Feeding Response in Python regius in Ambient Temperature vs. Hot-Spot , McKenzie Martinez

The Research and Analysis of Potential Gray Wolf (Canis Lupus) Habitats and Gray Wolf Management in the U.S. , YouHan Mei

Effect of Urban Green Space on Urban Populations. , Jack Mensinger

TO WHAT EXTENT HAS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMANS AND RED FOXES (VULPES VULPES) EVOLVED THROUGHOUT HISTORY? , Abigail Misfeldt

Diet Composition And Analysis Of Fish Species Consumed By The Eurasian Otter In A Marine/Costal Environment , Alexandrea Otto

The Effects of Phosphate on the Metamorphosis of Larval Western Barred Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium) , Alexis Jean Polivanov

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Digital Commons @ USF > College of Engineering > Civil and Environmental Engineering > Theses and Dissertations

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

The Influence of Corrosion Mitigating Fluids on Post Tensioned Tendon Grout Properties and Steel to Grout Bond Strength , Sarita Ale Magar

Exploring Alternative Electron Donors for Heterotrophic Denitrification at a Water Reclamation Facility in Tampa Bay , Tejas Athavale

Mechanisms Contributing to Hydrogen-Influenced Early Failure of Bridge Tendons , David Dukeman

The Influence of Bipolar Electrochemical Cell Geometry on the Studies of Pitting Corrosion , Amin Kazem Ghamsari

Field-Base Exploratory Study of Microbial Activity in Eight Potable Water Storage Tanks in Barbados , Katelyn M. Long

Land Use/Land Cover Uncertainty Analysis Using Hydrological Modeling in the Northern Watershed of Lake Okeechobee , Andres Lora Santos

Modeling Leachate Treatment Processes in Adsorbent-amended Hybrid Constructed Wetland , Ishfaqun Nisa

Effects of Downdrag on Pile Performance , Ruthvik Pendyala

Anaerobic Digestion of Brewery Waste Including Spent Yeast and Hops , Dhanashree Rawalgaonkar

Characteristics and Hydraulic Behavior of Adsorptive Media for Use in Permeable Reactive Barriers , Shelby Rocha

Exploratory Data-Driven Models for Water Quality: A Case Study for Tampa Bay Water , Sandra Sekyere

Interdependency between Water and Road Infrastructures: Cases and Impacts , Shihab Uddin

Hurricanes and Tropical Storms’ Impact on Water Quality in Lake Okeechobee, Florida , Daniela Vasquez Diaz

Exploration of Shared Passenger Urban Air Mobility – Integrated Network Design, Operation Scheduling and System Configuration , Zhiqiang Wu

Rehabilitation Technologies to Abate Infiltration in Sanitary Sewers , Steve Youssef

Adsorption of Long and Short Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) onto Granular Activated Carbon and Porous Organic Polymers , Yan Zhang

Adiabatic Temperature Rise and Durability Performance of Slag Blended Concrete , Hai Zhu

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Effects of Downdrag on Pile Performance , Malaak Omelia Araujo

Quantifying a 21-year Surface Water and Groundwater Interaction in a Ridge and Valley Lake Environment Using a Highly Constrained Modeling Approach , Richard T. Bowers Jr.

A Convergent Approach to Aqueous Lead (Pb) Mitigation of a Supplemental Self-Supply Shallow Groundwater Source Accessed by Handpumps in Madagascar , Adaline Marie Buerck

Identifying Significant Factors Affecting the Likelihood and Severity Level of Shared E-scooter Crashes , Recep Can Cakici

Evaluation of Aluminum Dissolution, Current Density, and Pitting Patterns During Electrocoagulation , Monica Castro Carias

Carbon Diversion, Partial Nitritation/Anammox Enrichment, and Ammonium Capture as Initial Stages for Mainstream Ion Exchange-Deammonification Process , Sheyla Chero-Osorio

Data Driven Approaches for Understanding and Improving Urban Mobility , Yujie Guo

Assessment of Scoured Bridges Subjected to Vessel Impact Using Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis , Amir S. Irhayyim

Assessment and Prevention of Bacterial Regrowth in Stored Household Water in Eastern Coastal Madagascar , Lauren Judah

The Impact of Land Use Change on Hydrology Using Hydrologic Modelling and Geographical Information System (GIS) , Nattachan Luesaksiriwattana

Simulating Flood Control in Progress Village, Florida Using Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) , Azize Minaz

Effects of Slurry Type on Drilled Shaft Strength , Cesar Quesada Garcia

Comparison Study of Consumer’s Perception toward Urban Air Mobility in the United States and Rest of the World Using Social Media Information , S M Toki Tahmid

Advanced Methods for Railroad Station Operation Decisions: Data Analytics, Optimization, Automation , Yuan Wang

High-Risk Traffic Crash Pattern Recognition and Identification Using Econometric Models and Machine Learning Models , Runan Yang

Biochar Amended Biological Systems for Enhanced Landfill Leachate and Lignocellulosic Banana Waste Treatment , Xia Yang

Passive Radiative Cooling by Spectrally Selective Nanoparticles in Thick Film Nanocomposites , David Allen Young

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

A System Architecture for Water Distribution Networks , Noha Abdel-Mottaleb

Sustainability Assessment of a Pressure Retarded Osmosis System , Samar Al Mashrafi

Health Risk Assessment of Local Populations Ingesting Water with Naturally Occurring Arsenic and Fecal Related Contaminants in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala , Marisol Alvarez

Influence of Coating Defects Within the Lock Seams on the Corrosion Performance of Aluminized Steel Drainage Pipes , Mohammed Al Yaarubi

Longitudinal Trajectory Tracking Analysis for Autonomous Electric Vehicles Based on PID Control , Hossein Amiri

An Assessment and Exploration of Recent Methodological Advances in Safety Data Analysis , Suryaprasanna Kumar Balusu

Pressure Retarded Osmosis: A Potential Technology for Seawater Desalination Energy Recovery and Concentrate Management , Joshua Benjamin

Assessing the Feasibility of Microbially Managed Biological Filtration in U.S. Drinking Water Systems for Removal of Contaminants of Emerging Concern , Andrew J. Black

The Effect of Cement and Blast Furnace Slag Characteristics on Expansion of Heat-Cured Mortar Specimens , Jair G. Burgos

A Systems Approach for Improving the Performance of Rural Community-Managed Water Systems Using SIASAR: Case Studies in Bolivia and Colombia , Rachel A. Cannon

Passive Nitrifying Biofilters for Onsite Treatment of Saline Domestic Wastewater , Daniel Arnulfo Delgado

Plastic Pollution in Urban Rivers: Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Plastic Release and Transport , Charlotte Juliane Haberstroh

Effects of Nitrate on Arsenic Mobilization during Aquifer Storage and Recovery , Hania Hawasli

Prediction of the Effects of Turbulence on Vehicle Hydroplaning using a Numerical Model , Thathsarani Dilini Herath Herath Mudiyanselage

Shortcut Nitrogen Removal in Photo-sequencing Batch Reactor, Experiments, Dynamic Model and Full-scale Design , Sahand Iman Shayan

Chorine Conversion: Biological and Water Quality Impact on Activated Carbon Block Point of Use Filters , Horace S. Jakpa

Efficient Management of Nitrogen and Phosphorus at Centralized Water Reclamation Facilities , Helene Kassouf

Building and Characterizing a Lab-Scaled Aquifer Storage and Recovery System , Murat Can Kayabas

Corrosion Rate Prediction in FRP-Concrete Repair , Mohammad A. Khawaja

Use of Biochar and Zeolite for Landfill Leachate Treatment: Experimental Studies and Reuse Potential Assessment , Thanh Thieu Lam

Feasibility of Epoxy Bond Enhancement on High-Strength Concrete , Amanda A. Lewis

Leaf Cutter Ant Nest Soil Cement Stabilized Earthen Bricks: Materials and Methods for Engineering Field Applications , Faith Malay

Minimum Cut-Sets for the Identification of Critical Water Distribution Network Segments , Xiliang Mao

An Assessment of Nutrient Improvement in Surface Water Due to the Conversion of Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems to Sewerage , Jenelle A. Mohammed

Development of a Numerical Process Model for Adsorbent-amended Constructed Wetlands , Lillian Mulligan

Corrosion Propagation of Stainless Steel Reinforced Concrete , Nelly Sofía Orozco Martínez

Corrosion Durability Service Life of Calcium Silicate-Based Reinforced Concrete , Carolina Páez Jiménez

Assessment of the Environmental Sustainability of a Small Water Production Facility in Madagascar , Jesal Patel

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Analysis of the Hydraulic Performance and Bio-kinetics in a Full-Scale Oxidation Ditch , Kiesha C. Pierre

Biochar Amended Bioretention Systems for Nutrient and Fecal Indicator Bacteria Removal from Urban and Agricultural Runoffs , Md Yeasir Arif Rahman

Understanding the Leaching Mechanism for Lead (Pb) Found in Components of Locally Manufactured Handpumps in Eastern Madagascar , Nidhi Shah

Impacts of Automated Vehicle Technologies on Future Traffic , Xiaowei Shi

Community Assessment of Water Perceptions and Household Point-of-Use Treatment Methods in Madagascar , Isabella Rose Silverman

Laboratory Examination of Lead Weights Harvested from Pitcher Pumps in Eastern Madagascar , Madelyn Wilson

Impact of grain morphology on the temporal evolution of interfacial area during multi-phase flow in porous media , Fizza Zahid

EAV Fleet Management in Transportation and Power Systems , Dongfang Zhao

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

A Framework for Assessing the Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, and Safety (RAMS) of Decentralized Sanitation , Adefunké Adeosun

Development of an Organic Processor Assembly (OPA) for Sustainable Resource Recovery to Enable Long-Duration, Deep-Space Human Exploration (LoDDSHE) , Talon James Bullard

Black Lives Matter in Engineering, Too! An Environmental Justice Approach towards Equitable Decision-Making for Stormwater Management in African American Communities , Maya Elizabeth Carrasquillo

Coral Reef Restoration in the Tropical West Atlantic Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic , Linden Cheek

Designing Next-generation Transportation Systems with Emerging Vehicle Technologies , Zhiwei Chen

Strength Restoration of Corrosion Damaged Piles Repaired with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Systems , Jethro Clarke

Water Quality and Sustainability Assessment of Rural Water Systems in the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé, Panama , Corbyn Cools

Rapid Cross-Section Imaging with Magnetic and Impedance Sensors for Grout Anomaly Detection in External Post-Tensioned Tendons , Hani Freij

Enhanced Nitrogen, Organic Matter and Color Removal from Landfill Leachate by Biological Treatment Processes with Biochar and Zeolite , Bisheng Gao

Bond Life of Structural Epoxy-Concrete Systems Under Accelerated Hygrothermal Aging , Philip W. Hopkins

Socio-Technical Transitions in the Water Sector: Emerging Boundaries for Utility Resilience in Barbados , Wainella N. Isaacs

Structural and Agricultural Value at Risk in Florida from Flooding during Hurricane Irma , Alexander J. Miller

An Inferential Study of the Potential Consumer Value of Free Charging for Users of Public Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure , Divyamitra Mishra

Reimagining Bottom-up Participatory Climate Change Adaptation in the Philippines , Emily Clark Nabong

Effects of Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Slags and Cements on Durability of Portland Cement-Slag Blended Systems , Farzaneh Nosouhian

Using a Systems Thinking Approach and Health Risk Assessment to Analyze the Food-Energy-Water System Nexus of Seaweed Farming in Belize , Estenia J. Ortiz Carabantes

Implementation of Large-Scale Anaerobic Digestion of Food Waste at the University of South Florida , Karamjit Panesar

Enhanced Fluoride Removal in Biosand Filters Using Aluminum Oxide Coated Media and Modified Filter Design , Madison Leigh Rice

Use of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash as Partial Cement Replacement in Interlocking Stabilized Soil Blocks (ISSBs) , Adah Shair

Bio-electrochemical Denitrification Systems and Applications for Nitrogen Removal in On-Site Wastewater Treatment , Kamal Ziad Taha

Development of an Integrated Direct Membrane Filtration (DMF) and Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor (AnMBR) System for Dilute Municipal Wastewater Treatment , Ahmet Erkan Uman

Post-overlay Flexible Pavement Performance Modeling and Its Application in Sustainable Asphalt Overlay Policy Making , Chunfu Xin

Sustainable Nutrient Management Through Technology-Level Evaluation and System-Level Optimization , Xiaofan Xu

Influence of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Wraps on Corrosion Progression of Bridge Piles in Marine Environments , Shayan Yazdani

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Seepage-Coupled Finite Element Analysis of Stress Driven Rock Slope Failures for BothNatural and Induced Failures , Thomas Becket Anyintuo

Statistical Analysis of the Role of Socio-Demographic and Health Factors in Shared Mobility Related Behaviors and Usage Likelihoods , Natalia M. Barbour

Model of a Sulfur-based Cyclic Denitrification Filter for Marine Recirculating Aquaculture Systems , Zhang Cheng

Exploring the Equity Performance of Bike-Sharing Systems with Disaggregated Data: A Story of Southern Tampa , Zhiwei Chen

Prioritizing Rehabilitation of Sanitary Sewers in Pinellas County, FL , Jesse T. Hillman

Highway Lane Management Policy for Existing and Connected Autonomous Vehicles , Md Mokaddesul Hoque

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Essays in Environmental Economics

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Home > Yale School of Architecture > ENVDESIGN

Masters of Environmental Design Theses

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

To Open a Clearing: Cultivating Spaces of Endurance in the Upper Amazon , Brunno de Melo Meirelles Douat

Operation Summer Care: Territories of the Stewardship-Hospitality Complex , George Papamattheakis

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Beside Yingzao: An Index of Chinese Building Traditions , Tianyi Hang

House as Ritual: Stories of Gender, Space, and Caste in Colonial Kerala , Devi Nayar

Maximum Governance: Managerial Populism and Violent Infrastructures in the New India , Mila T. Samdub

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Continuous Extremes: Architecture of Uncertainty in Poland, 1945— , Cayce Davis

Space-Praxis: Towards a Feminist Politics of Design , Mary C. Overholt

Mapping Grounds for Reparations in Jaraguá Peak , Laura Pappalardo

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Heimat im Wartezimmer: Architecture, Identity, and Migration in a Socialist Model City , Holly Bushman

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Environmental studies theses.

Students in ENVS 190 develop a report that explores an environmental problem or issue in great depth. It includes a detailed review of the scientific literature and evaluation of the information leading to conclusions and recommendations that address the problem or issue.

Thesis subjects are chosen by the student, approved by the instructor, and can be from myriad perspectives addressed in the ENVS curriculum including scientific, social, political, economic, and cultural.

Learning Objectives of Senior Thesis

ENVS 190 is designed to achieve, or assist students in achieving, the following program learning obbjectives. Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to:

• Assess environmental problems and solutions by applying scientific concepts
• Identify, understand, and critically evaluate competing perspectives on environmental issues
• Develop research, writing, and critical thinking skills and the ability to write and speak clearly and persuasively
• Build a persuasive argument and present it effecrively in both written and oral presentations and discussion
• Integrate knowledge, research, and interpretation with substantially greater sophistication than commonly expected.

Enrolling in Thesis

Revised April 12, 2024 - Effective Fall 2024

ENVS 190 – Thesis (Effective Fall 2024)

You must meet with your assigned Academic Advisor (based on your last name - see list under Advising) to determine your readiness to enroll in ENVS 190 Thesis. Your advisor will notify the ENVS Dept to manually enroll you. A passing grade in ENVS 112 is a pre-requisite for ENVS 190. If you need to take ENVS 112 concurrently be sure to discuss with your Advisor.

Fall 2023 Thesis - available soon

H2 is not to be applied. Use Section Subhead. If you should need a second headline, use H3 or start a new section.

Spring 2023 Thesis - Available Soon

Fall 2022 thesis.

Sources of E. coli and Mitigation of E. coli in the American River - Broderick Whitford

The Role of Urban Agriculture in the Food Access Crisis - Matteson Cunningham

Regulating Greenhouse Gases in the US Carbon Tax or Cap-and-Trade - Marissa Hagerman

The Impacts of Climate Change On Health of Low-Income and People of Color in the US - Rebecca Settle

Spring 2022 Thesis - Available Soon

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The thesis consists of three independent chapters on environmental and urban economics. A central theme explored in this thesis is what determines the distribution of economic activities across space. My exploration in this direction begins with the roles of industrial pollution and transportation infrastructure in shaping the spatial distribution of skills, and extends to evaluate the spatial allocation efficiency of renewable energy projects. The first chapter,“The Long Shadow of Industrial Pollution: Environmental Amenities and the Distribution of Skills”, investigates the role of industrial pollution in determining the competitiveness of post-industrial cities, with a focus on their ability to attract skilled workers and shift to a modern service economy. I assemble a rich database at a fine spatial resolution, which allows me to track pollution from the 1970s to the present and to examine its impacts on a whole range of outcomes related to productivity and amenity, including house prices, employment, wages, and crime. I find that census tracts downwind of highly polluted 1970s industrial sites are associated with lower housing prices and a smaller share of skilled employment three decades later, a pattern which became evermore prominent between 1980 and 2000. These findings indicate that pollution in the 1970s affected the ability of parts of cities to attract skills, which in turn drove the process of agglomeration based on modern services. To quantify the contribution of different mechanisms, I build and estimate a multi-sector spatial equilibrium framework that introduces heterogeneity in local productivity and workers’ valuation of local amenities across sectors and allows the initial sorting to be magnified by production and residential externalities. Structural estimation suggests that historical pollution is associated with lower current productivity and amenity; the magnitudes are higher for productivity, more skilled sectors and central tracts. I then use the framework to evaluate the impact of counterfactual pollution cuts in different parts of cities on nationwide welfare and cross-city skill distribution. The second chapter, “Travel Costs and Urban Specialization: Evidence from China’s High Speed Railway” examines how improvements in passenger transportation affect the spatial distribution of skills, exploiting the expansion of high speed railway (HSR) project in China. This natural experiment is unique because as a passenger-dedicated transportation device that aims at improving the speed and convenience of intercity travel, HSR mostly affects urban specialization through encouraging more frequent intercity trips and face-to-face interactions. I find that an HSR connection increases city-wide passenger flows by 10% and employment by 7%. To further deal with the issues of endogenous railway placement and simultaneous public investments accompanying HSR connections, I examine the impact of a city’s market access changes purely driven by the HSR connection of other cities. The estimates suggest that HSR-induced expansion in market access increases urban employment with an elasticity between 2 and 2.5. The differential impacts of HSR on employment across sectors suggest that industries benefiting more from enhanced market access are the ones intensive in nonroutine cognitive skills, such as finance, IT and business services. These findings highlight the role of improved passenger travel infrastructure in promoting the delivery of services, facilitating labour sourcing and knowledge exchange across cities, and ultimately shifting the specialization pattern of connected cities towards skilled and communication intensive sectors. In the last chapter, “Where does the Wind Blow? Green Preferences and Spatial Misallocation in the Renewable Energy Sector” , I focus on the spatial allocation efficiency of renewable energy projects. How efficiently are renewable energy projects distributed across the US? Are “greener” investors worse at picking sites? Using extensive information on wind resources, transmission, electricity prices and other restrictions that are relevant to the siting choices of wind farms, I calculate the predicted profitability of wind power projects for all possible locations across the contiguous US, use this distribution of this profitability as a counterfactual for profit-maximizing wind power investments and compare it to the actual placement of wind farms. The average predicted profit of wind projects would have risen by 47.1% had the 1770 current projects in the continental US been moved to the best 1770 sites. I also show that 80% and 42% respectively of this observed deviation can be accounted for by within-state and within-county distortions. I provide further evidence that a large proportion of the observed within-state spatial misallocation is related to green investors’ tendency of invest locally and sub-optimally. Wind farms in more environmentally-friendly counties are more likely to be financed by local and non-profit investors, are closer to cities, are much less responsive to local fundamentals and have worse performance ex-post. The implementation of state policies such as Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and price-based subsidies are related to better within-state locational choices through attracting more for-profit investments to the “brown" counties, while lump-sum subsidies have the opposite or no effects. My findings have salient implications for environmental and energy policy. Policy makers should take account of the non-monetary incentives of renewable investors when determining the allocative efficiency of policies.

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MSc in Environmental Science

• Environmental Science
• Programme Structure

Examples of MSc theses

In the list below you can read the descriptions of 11 very different theses, authored by students at the MSc Programme in Environmental Science. You are welcome to contact the author if you have further questions regarding a specific thesis.

Chronic toxicity of silver nanoparticles to Daphnia magna under different feeding conditions

Author : Aiga Mackevica

Supervisor : Anders Baun, DTU Environment.

Ecotoxicity of nanoparticles has been an emerging issue in recent years, which is why it is necessary to evaluate the effects of nanoparticle exposure to the aquatic environment. In this study, we performed series of 21-day chronic tests with Daphnia magna exposed to silver nanoparticles to obtain information on growth and reproductive effects. The results were used for modelling to find possible modes of action of silver nanoparticle toxicity.

Determination of Steroid Hormones in Polar Bear Hair (Ursus maritimus) - a Methodology Study

Author: Johan Weisser

Supervisors: Bjarne Styrishave, Erland Björklund & Martin Hansen; Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.

The aim of this thesis was to develop an analytical methodology to determine steroid hormones in hair, for the purpose of using hair as a biomarker to study endocrine imbalance in polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ). Hair was chosen because steroids are incorporated into the hair shaft while growing and thereby gives a prolonged steroid profile which reflect blood steroid concentration in that given time period. An extraction and clean up method was developed. For analyte determination both gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) was tested followed by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). It was possible to detect progestagens, androgens and estrogens using GC-MS/MS whereas LC-MS/MS is a better analytical technic for detecting corticosteroids. Hair steroid profiling may be used to assess stress in polar bears in response to pollution and climate changes.

Effects of Carbon Nanotubes on the Female Reproductive Axis: Interference with the female reproductive cycle. A Study in Mice.

Author: Hanna Lilith Katarina Johansson

Supervisor: Karin Sørig Hougaard; National Research Centre for the Working Environment & University of Copenhagen

Very little is known on the effects of nanoparticles on reproductive function. Inhalation of nanoparticles induces inflammation in the lung – and inflammation interferes with the female reproductive axis. In this study, we investigated the effect of airway exposure to multi walled CNTs (MWCNTs) on the estrous cycle of female mice. The results showed that female reproduction may be susceptible to acute exposure to nanoparticles.

Fluorochemicals and antiandrogenic effects – an in vitro study of per- and polyfluorinated chemicals on steroidogenesis and androgen receptor activation

McKinsey Global Private Markets Review 2024: Private markets in a slower era

CEO alpha: A new approach to generating private equity outperformance

Private equity operating groups and the pursuit of ‘portfolio alpha’