Data from: Lessons from a prioritisation process to identify evidence needs at the Woodland Trust, UK
Data files
Sep 25, 2026 version files 77.06 KB
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MASTER_Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda.csv
34.64 KB
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README.md
5.05 KB
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Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Agroforestry.csv
4.04 KB
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Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Ancient_and_veteran_trees.csv
1.51 KB
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Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Ancient_woodland_restoration.csv
1.61 KB
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Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Carbon__climate_change__and_sustainability.csv
3.89 KB
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Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Creation.csv
3.34 KB
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Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Deer.csv
3.46 KB
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Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Invasive_non-native_species.csv
1.50 KB
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Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_People_and_wellbeing.csv
2.30 KB
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Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Pests__diseases__and_tree_supply.csv
3.59 KB
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Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Pollution.csv
4.32 KB
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Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Provenance.csv
1.01 KB
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Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Urban_Trees.csv
1.29 KB
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Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Water_and_flooding.csv
2.80 KB
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Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Woodland_management.csv
2.72 KB
Abstract
Despite growing acknowledgement and advocacy for the importance of evidence-based conservation, there remain several challenges for conservation organisations to achieve this in reality. Misaligned incentives between academic research and conservation practice can limit the relevance, applicability and accessibility of research. A further challenge is the low number of practitioner-led research agendas that are published with which academics can engage and enable academic-practitioner co-designed research.
To address this challenge, 149 employees from the Woodland Trust were consulted in a series of facilitated workshops and surveys to produce a practitioner-led research agenda. First, an online survey and consultation meetings took place to gather research and evidence questions. Second, subject matter experts collated and synthesised these questions. Third, workshops were run to refine and score research questions using the criteria of overall priority, urgency, and an identifiable pathway to apply research output in conservation practice.
The results of this process are presented in this dataset which includes 173 applied conservation research questions across 14 topic areas and their relative prioritisation score.
We encourage academics and other researchers working in the sector to review this research agenda and contact the Woodland Trust research team to discuss co-designing future research projects or share current available evidence that addresses research questions within the agenda.
For further information please contact: research@woodlandtrust.org.uk
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.wh70rxx4w
Description of the data and file structure
This dataset contains the results of a research prioritisation process carried out at the Woodland Trust, UK. 149 employees from the Woodland Trust took part in the process which combined surveys and facilitated workshops to create a practitioner-led conservation research agenda. The priority research questions will be used to target applied conservation research and help enable collaboration and co-designed research between academics and conservation practitioners.
Priority scores were derived from participants assigning each question a relative score of high, medium or low for overall priority and urgency within each topic area. As such, priority scores are a relative value per topic area and are not comparable between topics. Priority scores are on a scale of 1 to 3, with 3 being the highest priority.
Some questions, including all questions in the 'Ancient and Veteran Trees' topic, do not have a prioritisation score. Compared to the other topics these questions were less well defined before workshops took place and the focus was on refining questions, as such no priority voting took place and they contain "N/A" values.
We did not prioritise the individual topic areas as each of these are key to meeting our organisational objectives. All of the questions within this list should be viewed as a research priority with priority scores being included to support decision making when developing research projects. It is not our plan or recommendation that this list is used as a ranked list where we exclusively pursue research with the highest priority scores first.
Files and variables
This dataset contains 15 .csv files.
MASTER_Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda.csv - contains all 173 applied conservation research questions generated from our prioritisation process. This list does not contain prioritisation scores as these are a relative score within each topic area.
The following files contain the priority research questions for each separate topic area along with their prioritisation score.
File: Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Agroforestry.csv
File: Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Ancient_and_veteran_trees.csv
File: Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Ancient_woodland_restoration.csv
File: Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Carbon__climate_change__and_sustainability.csv
File: Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Creation.csv
File: Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Deer.csv
File: Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Invasive_non-native_species.csv
File: Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_People_and_wellbeing.csv
File: Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Pests__diseases__and_tree_supply.csv
File: Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Pollution.csv
File: Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Provenance.csv
File: Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Urban_Trees.csv
File: Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Water_and_flooding.csv
File: Woodland_Trust_Research_Agenda_Woodland_management.csv
Variables (across all files):
- ID Number: unique ID number assigned to each research question
- Theme: dentifies which research theme the questions is grouped in
- Research Question: applied conservation research question
- Sub-Questions: additional questions or detail
- Strategic goal: which organisational goal does the research question align with. Definitions of our strategic goals are below
- Priority (Urgency): defined as a research need that is relevant for immediate conservation delivery/impact i.e. upcoming policy change, campaign alignment, or land management activity.
- Priority (Overall): defined as research need based on the delivery of the Trust’s strategic goals.
Definitions of the Woodland Trust's strategic goals
Protect - We protect ancient, veteran and valuable woods and trees, to stop the loss of irreplaceable habitat and carbon stores and preserve our natural heritage.
Restore - We restore the ecological condition of existing native woods and trees, increasing landscape resilience and creating conditions for nature and people to thrive.
Create - We create quality native woods and get native trees growing to benefit nature, climate and people into the future.
Inspire - We inspire the many, building loyalty and capturing the hearts and minds of an ever-increasing number of people and organisations to support our cause.
Transform - We are transforming how we operate, ensuring we are the high-performing team our cause needs us to be. We must be greater than the sum of our parts, delivering positive impact in everything we do.
Human subjects data
This dataset contains summarised qualitative data and statements derived from human participants. No personally identifiable information is included. Participants provided consent for these data to be published.