Masters Dissertation Example

5.1.5 How often is the scientific literature consulted? 
Two of the respondents (currently based in the UK) indicated that they read journals regularly. 
One respondent said that they glanced at abstracts every week to get an overview. Five said 
they only consulted journals when needed, and one said that they did a literature search only 
when needed but also had journal subscriptions. Another said it depended upon availability 
and time constraints. CB was mentioned six times, BC four, O four, and AC two. BD was not 
mentioned. One respondent did not read specific journals, but searched for relevant papers on 
the internet. Five respondents also listed specialised or local journals
Half of the interviewees only looked for research specific to their study species/system, 
whereas the other half read a wider range of research. No interviewees felt that they were able 
to get all of the available literature. One respondent felt starved of literature, another felt that 
they mostly relied upon contacting individuals and obtaining grey literature. 

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5.1.6 Implementation of research findings 
Seven of the interviewees said that implementation was mostly down to ‘in house’ research, 
supported by, but not necessarily based upon, existing information. It was emphasised that 
each situation is unique, and therefore action has to be adaptive in accordance with the 
complexity of the situation on the ground. Two said that it was important to have a research 
base, but that there was a time-lag, and that it is counter productive if a practitioner has to wait 
until publication rather than be informed of the research pre-publication. It was also pointed 
out that although they incorporate existing information, it was often not available for their 
study species. One interviewee suggested that the success of a conservation action would be 
determined more by the experience of the staff rather than the research basis.