Software codesign between end users and developers to enhance utility for biodiversity conservation
(2024) In BioScience 74(12). p.867-873- Abstract
Creating software tools that address the needs of a wide range of decision-makers requires the inclusion of differing perspectives throughout the development process. Software tools for biodiversity conservation often fall short in this regard, partly because broad decision-maker needs may exceed the toolkits of single research groups or even institutions. We show that participatory, collaborative codesign enhances the utility of software tools for better decision-making in biodiversity conservation planning, as demonstrated by our experiences developing a set of integrated tools in Colombia. Specifically, we undertook an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional collaboration of ecological modelers, software engineers, and a diverse... (More)
Creating software tools that address the needs of a wide range of decision-makers requires the inclusion of differing perspectives throughout the development process. Software tools for biodiversity conservation often fall short in this regard, partly because broad decision-maker needs may exceed the toolkits of single research groups or even institutions. We show that participatory, collaborative codesign enhances the utility of software tools for better decision-making in biodiversity conservation planning, as demonstrated by our experiences developing a set of integrated tools in Colombia. Specifically, we undertook an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional collaboration of ecological modelers, software engineers, and a diverse profile of potential end users, including decision-makers, conservation practitioners, and biodiversity experts. We leveraged and modified common paradigms of software production, including codesign and agile development, to facilitate collaboration through all stages (including conceptualization, development, testing, and feedback) to ensure the accessibility and applicability of the new tools to inform decision-making for biodiversity conservation planning.
(Less)
- author
- publishing date
- 2024-12-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- keywords
- applied ecology, biodiversity, biogeography, conservation, informatics
- in
- BioScience
- volume
- 74
- issue
- 12
- pages
- 7 pages
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85213377303
- ISSN
- 0006-3568
- DOI
- 10.1093/biosci/biae097
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.
- id
- 53ad3816-fc67-4aad-8bef-3fa8aa7a7803
- date added to LUP
- 2026-01-14 16:55:05
- date last changed
- 2026-01-16 14:28:46
@article{53ad3816-fc67-4aad-8bef-3fa8aa7a7803,
abstract = {{<p>Creating software tools that address the needs of a wide range of decision-makers requires the inclusion of differing perspectives throughout the development process. Software tools for biodiversity conservation often fall short in this regard, partly because broad decision-maker needs may exceed the toolkits of single research groups or even institutions. We show that participatory, collaborative codesign enhances the utility of software tools for better decision-making in biodiversity conservation planning, as demonstrated by our experiences developing a set of integrated tools in Colombia. Specifically, we undertook an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional collaboration of ecological modelers, software engineers, and a diverse profile of potential end users, including decision-makers, conservation practitioners, and biodiversity experts. We leveraged and modified common paradigms of software production, including codesign and agile development, to facilitate collaboration through all stages (including conceptualization, development, testing, and feedback) to ensure the accessibility and applicability of the new tools to inform decision-making for biodiversity conservation planning.</p>}},
author = {{Blair, Mary E. and Noguera-Urbano, Elkin A. and Ochoa-Quintero, Jose Manuel and Paz, Andrea and Lopez-Gallego, Cristina and Echeverry-Galvis, María Ángela and Zuloaga, Juan and Rodríguez, Pilar and Lemus-Mejia, Leonardo and Ersts, Peter and López-Lozano, Daniel F. and Aiello-Lammens, Matthew E. and Arango, Hector M. and Buitrago, Leonardo and Chang Triguero, Samuel and Cruz-Rodríguez, Cristian A. and Díaz-Nieto, Juan F. and Escobar, Dairo and Grisales-Betancur, Valentina and Johnson, Bethany A. and Kass, Jamie M. and Londoño-Murcia, María C. and Merow, Cory and Munoz, Carlos Jair and Olaya-Rodríguez, María Helena and Parra, Juan L. and Pinilla-Buitrago, Gonzalo E. and Roach, Nicolette S. and Rojas-Soto, Octavio and Roncancio-Duque, Néstor and Suárez-Valencia, Erika and Urbina-Cardona, J. Nicolás and Velásquez-Tibatá, Jorge and Zapata-Martinez, Camilo A. and Anderson, Robert P.}},
issn = {{0006-3568}},
keywords = {{applied ecology; biodiversity; biogeography; conservation; informatics}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{12}},
number = {{12}},
pages = {{867--873}},
publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
series = {{BioScience}},
title = {{Software codesign between end users and developers to enhance utility for biodiversity conservation}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biae097}},
doi = {{10.1093/biosci/biae097}},
volume = {{74}},
year = {{2024}},
}