CENTRE FOR EVIDENCE-BASED CONSERVATION
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW CONSULTATION PROCESS
PROTOCOL FEEDBACK
CONSULTATION PROCESS
This proforma is designed to aid the development and definition of a question (or set of questions)
for systematic review in relation to an environmental management or policy issue. As it is standard
practice for this proforma to be circulated to any individuals or organisations that have an interest in
the issue under scrutiny, please forward it to any other parties that may wish to contribute to the
systematic review process. Please return the proforma using the contact details below. Thank you in
advance for your time, remarks and any additional material that you are able to provide.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW TOPIC OF INTEREST
Does structural connectivity facilitate effective dispersal of native species in Australia’s fragmented
terrestrial landscapes?
AREAS FOR COMMENT
DEFINING THE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW QUESTION(S)
A systematic review question is structured in the same manner as a scientific hypothesis. Proposed
questions are frequently too broad to be answered by a single systematic review and, therefore,
need to be “unpacked” into a series of nested systematic review questions. Please comment on
whether our primary, secondary and tertiary questions are appropriate for addressing the issue of
whether structural connectivity facilitates dispersal. If not, please provide alternative suggestions.
Also note if you believe we have not defined our terms sufficiently or if you believe we should be
using different definitions.
Is our choice of subjects appropriate (see Table 1)?
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Have we considered the right set of interventions, or management actions/types of connectivity?
Do you think our outcomes are appropriate (see Table 1), taking into account both what sorts of
outcomes we want from management actions but also the types of data collected in dispersal and
connectivity studies? Please provide any alternative suggestions you may have.
Under “sources of heterogeneity”, do you believe we have listed the important factors (i.e.,
ecological variables, abiotic factors, aspects of study design, etc.) that may influence/confound the
outcome measures of studies on dispersal/movement and connectivity? If not, what have we
missed? Which of these factors do you think are most important?
SCOPE OF THE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
What audience do you believe this systematic review will be of use to (i.e., policy makers,
practitioners, etc.)?
How do you think a systematic review in this field of study will be valuable (i.e., as a management
decision-making tool, informing policy or in highlighting areas where additional primary research
is required)?
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SEARCHING FOR EVIDENCE
Are there any specialist sources that you recommend we search for relevant evidence (e.g.,
databases, publications, libraries, etc.) that we have not considered?
Are you in possession of any unpublished information (e.g., data from long term monitoring,
studies, experiments, etc.) that you would be willing to make available for this systematic
review(s)? Please note: such data would only be used to calculate summary statistics (e.g., means
and standard deviations) to be used in subsequent meta-analysis.
Would you be able to submit a list of key references (e.g., peer-reviewed publications, research
reports, etc.) for empirical research on connectivity in Australia?
IDENTIFYING INTERESTED PARTIES
Is there anyone in particular (people or organisations) who you think we should be asking to
participate in this systematic review, by commenting on the protocol, providing references or data,
etc.? Note that these could be subject experts or people/organisations who would use the resulting
information for on-ground management or policy development.
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GENERAL COMMENTS
CONTACT DETAILS
Please provide your contact details below if you wish to follow the progress of the review.
Name
Organisation
Address
Contact Telephone No.
Email Address
Would you mind being contacted should clarification be
required on any points raised within this proforma?
Please submit your comments by one of the following means:
1. Post to: Dr. Erik Doerr
CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems
GPO Box 284
Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
2. Email as an attachment to: erik.doerr@csiro.au
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Yes
No