Zoos and aquariums are prolific in conducting and publishing scientific research

Biodiversity conservation and research is an important mandate of modern zoos and aquariums, and is listed as one of the criteria for accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which had 228 members in 2013.

Our analysis of the total research output by AZA member organizations between 1993 and 2013 revealed that AZA members contributed at least 5,175 peer-reviewed articles to conservation, zoology, and veterinary journals. The number of publications produced per year also increased over time. In general, AZA organizations with more financial resources published more papers. Zoos and aquariums with mission statements that promoted or supported research had high publishing productivity as well, regardless of financial assets.

To assess research productivity, we extracted information on all scientific publications by AZA members from the ISI Web of Science, an online database that indexes peer-reviewed scientific publications. We then examined the data for relationships between publishing productivity and factors such as organizational age, size, type, and whether “research” was mentioned in the mission statement.

Organizations that publish prolifically may be seen as more credible, as a strong publication record indicates expertise and contributes to scientific knowledge. A dedicated research focus and adequate institutional support through research funding and staffing is likely needed for high research productivity.

Read the full paper — Quantifying the contribution of zoos and aquariums to peer-reviewed scientific research by Tse-Lynn Loh, Eric R. Larson, Solomon R. David, Lesley S. de Souza, Rebecca Gericke, Mary Gryzbek, Andrew S. Kough, Philip W. Willink and Charles R. Knapp on the FACETS website.