Haptic Intelligence Article 2022

A Guide for Successful Research Collaborations between Zoos and Universities

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Haptic Intelligence
  • Research Scientist
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Zoos offer university researchers unique opportunities to study animals that would be difficult or impractical to work with in the wild. However, the different cultures, goals, and priorities of zoos and universities can be a source of conflict. How can researchers build mutually beneficial collaborations with their local zoo? In this article, we present the results of a survey of 117 personnel from 59 zoos around the United States, where we highlight best practices spanning all phases of collaboration, from planning to working alongside the zoo and maintaining contact afterward. Collaborations were hindered if university personnel did not appreciate the zoo staff's time constraints as well as the differences between zoo animals and laboratory animals. We include a vision for how to improve zoo collaborations, along with a history of our own decade-long collaborations with Zoo Atlanta. A central theme is the long-term establishment of trust between institutions.

Author(s): Andrew K. Schulz and Cassie Shriver and Catie Aubuchon and Emily G Weigel and Michelle Kolar and Joseph R Mendelson III and David L Hu
Journal: Integrative and Comparitive Biology
Volume: 62
Number (issue): 5
Pages: 1174--1185
Year: 2022
Month: November
Bibtex Type: Article (article)
DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac096
State: Published
Electronic Archiving: grant_archive

BibTex

@article{Schulz22-ICB-Zoos,
  title = {A Guide for Successful Research Collaborations between Zoos and Universities},
  journal = {Integrative and Comparitive Biology},
  abstract = {Zoos offer university researchers unique opportunities to study animals that would be difficult or impractical to work with in the wild. However, the different cultures, goals, and priorities of zoos and universities can be a source of conflict. How can researchers build mutually beneficial collaborations with their local zoo? In this article, we present the results of a survey of 117 personnel from 59 zoos around the United States, where we highlight best practices spanning all phases of collaboration, from planning to working alongside the zoo and maintaining contact afterward. Collaborations were hindered if university personnel did not appreciate the zoo staff's time constraints as well as the differences between zoo animals and laboratory animals. We include a vision for how to improve zoo collaborations, along with a history of our own decade-long collaborations with Zoo Atlanta. A central theme is the long-term establishment of trust between institutions.},
  volume = {62},
  number = {5},
  pages = {1174--1185},
  month = nov,
  year = {2022},
  slug = {schulz22-icb-zoos},
  author = {Schulz, Andrew K. and Shriver, Cassie and Aubuchon, Catie and Weigel, Emily G and Kolar, Michelle and III, Joseph R Mendelson and Hu, David L},
  month_numeric = {11}
}