title: Bridging disciplines, knowledge systems and cultures in pest management.
abstract: The success of research in integrated environmental and natural resource management relies on the participation and involvement of different disciplines and stakeholders. This can be difficult to achieve in practice because many initiatives fail to address the underlying social processes required for successful engagement and social learning. We used an action research approach to support a research-based group with a range of disciplinary and stakeholder expertise to critically reflect on their engagement practice and identify lessons around how to collaborate more effectively. This approach is provided here as a guide that can be used to support reflective research practice for engagement in other integration-based initiatives. This paper is set in the context of an integrated wildlife management research case study in New Zealand. We illustrate how multi-, inter- and trans-disciplinary approaches can provide a framework for considering the different conversations that need to occur in an integrated research program. We then outline rubrics that list the criteria required in inter- and trans-disciplinary collaborations, along with examples of effective engagement processes that directly support integration through such efforts. Finally, we discuss the implications of these experiences for other researchers and managers seeking to improve engagement and collaboration in integrated science, management and policy initiatives. Our experiences reaffirm the need for those involved in integrative initiatives to attend to the processes of engagement in both formal and informal settings, to provide opportunities for critical reflective practice, and to look for measures of success that acknowledge the importance of effective social process.
authors.forename: Will
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Shaun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogilvie
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Blackie
authors.forename: Des
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Shona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sam
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ataria
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: MacKay
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eason
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D058865:Introduced Species; D009520:New Zealand; D010571:Pest Control / Q000379:methods*