對(duì)于生態(tài)學(xué)家而言,，要建立有說(shuō)服力的概念和規(guī)則,，則需要跨地域、跨學(xué)科的交叉研究,。南非和英國(guó)科學(xué)家近日分析了研究者的選擇性來(lái)評(píng)估其潛在的偏愛,，探討社會(huì)利益如何影響研究者選擇研究對(duì)象（生物體），特別是通過對(duì)科學(xué)文獻(xiàn)中和因特網(wǎng)上相對(duì)有代表性研究物種進(jìn)行比較,。生物種類,、保護(hù)情況、地理位置和經(jīng)濟(jì)利益可能會(huì)影響研究者選擇何種生物進(jìn)行研究,，潛在的社會(huì)偏見對(duì)研究客體的選擇有一定的影響,。盡管通常情況下科學(xué)文獻(xiàn)和網(wǎng)上搜索結(jié)果呈現(xiàn)正相關(guān)關(guān)系，但是拋開這個(gè)普遍的規(guī)律,，與社會(huì)偏好相比較,，生物學(xué)研究課題的選擇反映了社會(huì)利益。科研成果比社會(huì)利益似乎更易受經(jīng)濟(jì)和實(shí)際問題影響,，而較少受地理障礙與社會(huì)政治障礙的影響,。
雖然各種生物研究反映了社會(huì)需要，但是還存在著諸多類別和地域上的差距,。有些生物群體和有些地區(qū)顯然比其他群體和其他地區(qū)更受關(guān)注,。生態(tài)學(xué)家對(duì)某個(gè)群體開展深入認(rèn)識(shí)的進(jìn)程是否成功還有待評(píng)價(jià)。如果生態(tài)學(xué)家要完善概念,，則需要拓寬研究領(lǐng)域,，也許更應(yīng)該把重點(diǎn)放在填補(bǔ)分類上的空白。
相關(guān)論文發(fā)表在《生態(tài)與環(huán)境科學(xué)前沿》（Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment）上,。（科學(xué)新聞雜志 康嘉/編譯）,。
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment，Volume 5, Issue 8,，pp. 409–414,，John RU Wilson，David M Richardson
The (bio)diversity of science reflects the interests of society
John RU Wilson1,*, erban Proche1, Brigitte Braschler2,1, Edd S Dixon1, and David M Richardson1
For ecologists to develop robust generalizations and principles, a broad taxonomic and geographic spread of research is required, but, in practice, most generalizations are based on the research of individual scientists and groups, and their choice of study organism is affected by many different factors. We analyzed researchers' choice to assess potential biases. In particular, by comparing the relative representation of species in the scientific literature and on the Internet, we explored how the choice of study organism is influenced by societal interests. While there is a strong positive correlation between output in the scientific literature and on the web, deviations from this general pattern suggest that, when compared with societal biases, research agendas are more directly influenced by economic priorities and practical limitations, and less by geographical and sociopolitical barriers. Although the range of biological research reflects the needs of society, there are still large taxonomic and geographic gaps. By focusing on specific groups, we are developing an in-depth knowledge of certain taxa, but if ecologists are to develop generalizations, we may need to widen our research scope.
