Summary: McMahon et al. (2012)

Supporters of animal welfare often oppose research conducted on wild animals by wildlife scientists. However, this is of concern as the biodiversity crisis requires knowledge of many animals' biology and ecology, amongst other things (e.g. behaviour). Although some studies might result in "invasive" research, this could lead to increased conservation goals for threatened populations. Supporters of animal welfare often find this level of invasion unacceptable, regardless of the proposed outcomes. McMahon et al. (2012) suggest that a resolution between these two opposing sides can be resolved. They suggest that scientists should apply Bateson's Decision Cube to research studies to highlight and efficiently demonstrate the benefits of the research. This will also allow them to engage more successfully with the public sector (including animal welfare supporters) in debates of conservation value research.