Introduction to Zoo Research

Research in Zoos

Investigative efforts of advancing theory, discovering new knowledge, solving practical problems, or helping a process perform better.

In-situ Conservation

Conservation within an animal's natural habitat.

Ex-situ Conservation

Conservation outside of an animal's natural habitat or ecological niche.

Benefits of Zoo Research

Helps further zoo operations, increases knowledge and improves practice in breeding, conservation, and wellbeing, and provides access to animals and biological samples to the scientific community.

Challenges in Zoo Research

Includes lack of controllable conditions, opportunistic species status, and small sample size.

Scientific Method

A systematic approach to research that includes observing, hypothesizing, predicting, experimenting, analyzing data, discussing results, and modifying hypotheses.

Empirical Data

Information acquired through experimentation and structured observation.

Hypothesis

A tentative statement proposing a possible explanation for a phenomenon or event.

Productive Hypothesis

A testable, falsifiable statement that informs predictions and identifies tentative relationships.

Independent Variable

Factors in an experiment that are manipulated or compared, which may change the dependent variable.

Dependent Variable

The variable expected to change as a result of manipulating the independent variable.

Control Variables

Factors that are deliberately maintained or left unchanged during an experiment.

Confounding Variables

Variables that may systematically affect the dependent variable and are not accounted for.