Extracting data from ecosystem restoration studies

The University of Bonn aspires to be a leading institution in research and teaching, recognized globally for its academic excellence and societal impact. The university aims to create an environment that fosters innovation, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary collaboration, preparing students to tackle the challenges of the future. The Land Economics Group at the University of Bonn brings together researchers from various disciplines to understand which policies, institutional changes, and technological innovations most effectively improve land conditions. The group studies which policies, institutional changes, and technological innovations most effectively improve agricultural sustainability and societal welfare. For this, we rely on modern causal inference, machine learning, and especially geo-spatial data, and we work closely together with policy organizations.

This assignment is part of a comprehensive systematic review aimed at synthesizing knowledge on ecosystem restoration interventions across a variety of land and land-water ecosystems. The review is closely aligned with the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) and Sustainable Development Goal 15, both of which underscore the urgent need to understand the impacts and effectiveness of restoration efforts globally. By analyzing a diverse range of interventions—spanning different ecosystems and contexts—the review will examine the characteristics, goals, and socio-economic factors associated with these efforts. This multifaceted approach seeks to uncover valuable insights that can guide future restoration strategies and inform policy-making, ensuring that interventions are both effective and sustainable. Online Volunteers will play a critical role in this endeavor, contributing to the rigor and comprehensiveness of the research. Their involvement will help ensure that the systematic review captures a broad spectrum of knowledge and perspectives, ultimately enhancing the quality and applicability of the findings. By engaging in this project, online volunteers will not only support vital environmental research but also gain experience in the systematic review process, enriching their understanding of ecosystem restoration.

Online Volunteers will play a key role in a global systematic review of ecosystem restoration interventions, which aims to synthesize research on ecosystem restoration, focusing on the effectiveness of various intervention types and techniques in different ecosystems and socio-economic contexts. This initiative is aligned with the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration and Sustainable Development Goal 15, offering online volunteers an exciting opportunity to engage in impactful environmental work while gaining experience in the systematic review process, with their contributions acknowledged in the final published paper. Online Volunteers will specifically participate in the so-called coding phase of the review, with key responsibilities including: - Extracting relevant data from selected studies in accordance with predefined data extraction criteria and templates. - Systematically recording key information from each study, including study design, restoration interventions, outcome measures, and main findings. - Assessing and capturing details on methodologies and assessment approaches to support consistent comparison across studies. - Documenting any assumptions, ambiguities, or missing data encountered during extraction, with clear notes for transparency. - Collaborating with the research team to resolve uncertainties, refine extraction categories, and ensure consistency and accuracy throughout the data extraction process. We expect Online Volunteers to code 3-5 scientific articles per week, document their decisions, and communicate any questions or issues that arise.