Web-based ecological evidence entry form enables consistent, accessible extraction and visualization for synthesis applications

Abstract

Applying scientific evidence to conservation, environmental management, and policy-making improves outcomes. When synthesizing existing evidence, substantial resources are required to access and read scientific publications and extract and analyze decision-relevant information. To improve this process, we developed a free, publicly available, web-based evidence entry form tailored to extract information about cause-effect relationships from ecological publications. The form enables storage, retrieval, reuse, and visualization of qualitative and quantitative ecological and environmental evidence extracted from publications. Evidence can be analyzed for a wide range of synthesis purposes (e.g., causal assessments, hypothesis testing) and approaches (e.g., rapid reviews, meta-analyses). The database schema underlying the form logically relates information about (a) a publication, (b) its experimental design(s), and (c) reported cause-effect relationships. An ontology of controlled terminology enables consistent extraction and characterization of causes and effects across users, facilitating evidence reuse. Future capabilities include customization of terminology and incorporation of study quality information.