Research That Meets The Moment: A Call For Collaboration Between Advocates & Academics
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of attending the PHAIR Society’s Animal Advocacy Conference in Edinburg, U.K. — a gathering that embodied the spirit of collaboration between academia and advocacy. Organized by The Society for the Psychology of Human-Animal Intergroup Relations (PHAIR), the conference was an inspiring space where scholars and advocates came together to share their latest research, discuss the critical role psychology plays in advancing animal protection, and learn a bit of ceilidh dancing (one of the best conference socials I’ve ever attended!).
The conference is part of a much-needed effort to foster closer ties between the worlds of academia and advocacy — two communities that work in parallel but could achieve even more through increased collaboration. The conference itself was a testament to the growing intersection of academic research and animal advocacy. It was energizing to see so many brilliant minds dedicated to understanding human-animal interactions and leveraging knowledge on behalf of animals.
As advocates, we know that the work we do is complex and multifaceted, and the need for evidence-based, actionable research has never been more pressing. However, research that truly moves the needle in real-world contexts is not just about publishing findings; it’s about making those findings accessible, relevant, and actionable. That was the theme of my keynote speech, “Research That Meets the Moment,” which focused on how critical it is for those of us in the research community to connect our work with the actual challenges that advocates face every day.
The PHAIR conference provided an ideal backdrop to highlight the growing recognition that advocates need researchers now more than ever, and that researchers need advocates to ensure that their work has meaningful, tangible impact. In this blog, we reiterate the calls to action made during my speech and throughout the conference, and share how Faunalytics can help advocates and researchers alike be more impactful, together.
The Evolution Of Animal Advocacy Research
If we were to turn back the clock just 25 years, we’d see a very different landscape for the animal protection movement. At that time, animal welfare wasn’t really taken seriously as a cause that warranted concern, and was a marginal topic in academia — often siloed and rarely prioritized. Advocacy itself was largely driven by passion, instinct, and a deep sense of moral urgency because we didn’t yet have the research infrastructure we see today. Animal protection was a niche concern and we simply didn’t have a roadmap to guide our work.
Today, animal advocacy has carved out a legitimate place for itself as one of the most pressing moral issues of our time, and is now a growing research field. We have academic journals, books, research organizations like Faunalytics, and conferences like PHAIR and Fauna Connections focused on animal advocacy research, dedicated to understanding how people think about and treat animals. The research we produce doesn’t just shape our understanding of animal issues — it has the potential to shape the future of the movement.
Yet, despite these advances, the research community and the advocacy community still sometimes seem like two separate worlds. Researchers often publish work that is not applicable or accessible for the people who are on the front lines of animal advocacy, and advocates often struggle to proactively use the data and insights that could make their work more effective.
The Importance Of Connecting With Advocacy Contexts
To understand how research actually fits into advocacy, Faunalytics conducted a study last year called “Research and Data as Tools in Advocates’ Decision-Making.” We wanted to know: What role does research play in the day-to-day work of animal advocates? How can we as researchers ensure that the work we’re doing is truly serving their needs?
We found that advocates use research in order to:
- Establish legitimacy and build credibility
- Guide internal decision-making and influence tactics
- Build partnerships, alliances, and collaborations
- Catalyze action from policymakers, corporations, and/or the public
- Improve communication to articulate problems, solutions, and the path forward
These findings are critical because they suggest that research isn’t just something that’s nice to have. It’s not just interesting. It is essential, and it is indeed used by animal advocates in meaningful ways. However, when advocates aren’t able to apply research directly, the resulting disconnect has real-world consequences.
When research is too abstract, too academic, or simply not tailored to the current challenges faced by advocates on the ground, it is less effective than it could be. Advocates need researchers who understand their specific challenges, and researchers need advocates to help them frame questions in ways that will have real-world relevance.
The Formula For More Effective Research
To address this disconnect, research must be accessible, relevant, and collaborative. When these principles are embraced, research becomes a tool that drives change.
- Accessibility: A study might reveal insights into, say, consumer behavior or voters’ preferences, but if the findings are buried behind technical jargon and a paywall, how does it help a campaigner or lobbyist working to influence corporate practices or policy decisions that advance animal well-being?
- Researchers: When you conduct and publish research, what actions do you take as you consider accessibility? Accessibility in this case is less about what you say and more about how you say it and where you share it.
- Advocates: Did you know Faunalytics’ Research Library summarizes external research into short, lay-friendly articles with takeaways for advocates? If you’re new to our Library and search features, check out our short website tutorial.
- Relevancy: A study might focus on an intriguing topic, but if the study isn’t bringing new information to the movement or is asking questions that aren’t aligned with actual advocacy work, how can it help guide strategy?
- Researchers: How do you ensure that topic you’re tackling actually matters? Hint: If you’re not well connected to the advocacy side of the movement, you can be! Many organizations post their strategic plans on their website, and you’re also welcome in online communities and virtual or in-person conferences. We promise we won’t bite.
- Advocates: Do you share your data needs with researchers? If you’re not sure where to start, visit our Office Hours — we can either help you out or try to connect you to an organization or academic whose field of study overlaps with your needs.
- Collaborative: A study might be accessible and timely, but if it’s not informed by actual advocates’ needs and input, how will we ensure that results will be actioned?
- For researchers and advocates: Have you read our blog Collaborating Successfully: Psychological Scientists and Animal Advocates? We teamed up with a few brilliant folks to provide a roadmap for how advocates and social scientists can collaborate to ask the right questions and use research to guide our actions for animals.
We have the potential to create a much more powerful and cohesive movement when we unite our efforts, and when we’re in conversation with each other. When research is accessible, relevant, and collaborative, our impact is transformed into real-world change for animals.
The Ways Faunalytics Can Support You
Our mission is centered on making research accessible and relevant for advocates. We have built a platform where research meets action — a place where advocates can find evidence-based insights that are immediately usable. Through our resources — like our Original Research (topics selected with input from advocates), study summaries, and infographics, videos, and visuals — we strive to present topical data in a way that is practical and digestible.
Faunalytics is here to help advocates and academics alike. Reach out to us. Researchers, whenever you publish a study, let us know so that we can include your work in our Library, which then brings your findings straight to advocates’ inboxes in accessible formatting with clear, actionable takeaways. Advocates, if you can’t find the data you’re looking for, stop by our free Office Hours and we’ll help you track it down.
In the coming years, Faunalytics also hopes to do more to facilitate collaborative agenda-setting among research organizations in the movement so that we can ensure we’re meeting the moment effectively, using resources wisely, and collaborating for shared success. If you represent a research organization and you’d like to make something like that happen, please reach out.
The Future Of Collaboration
As I closed my speech in Edinburgh, I issued a call to action for greater collaboration. We need to move beyond the siloed nature of advocacy and academia.
Advocates, I urge you to actively seek out research that can inform and strengthen your work. Researchers, I encourage you to engage with advocacy groups not just as subjects of research, but as partners in developing solutions to the most pressing challenges in the fight for animals. We are in a pivotal time in the animal protection movement, and working together has never been more important. As we continue to push for immediate and systemic change, we need research that speaks to the urgency of this moment.
Faunalytics will continue to explore innovative new ways to bridge academia and advocacy and to connect these two relentlessly dedicated communities that we are honored to serve. Let’s use the power of research to create a more informed and effective movement, and ultimately, a more compassionate world for animals.
PS: If you missed this year’s PHAIR conference, keep an eye out for the upcoming season of The Deal with Animals, which will be dedicated to the conference, the topics that speakers covered, and the importance of collaboration.
