Online toolkits for collaborative and inclusive global research in urban
evolutionary ecology
Abstract
Urban evolutionary ecology is inherently interdisciplinary. Moreover, it
is a field with global significance. However, bringing researchers and
resources together across fields and countries is challenging.
Therefore, an online collaborative research hub, where common methods
and best practices are shared among scientists from diverse geographic,
ethnic, and career backgrounds would make research focused on urban
evolutionary ecology more inclusive. Here, we describe a freely
available online research hub for toolkits that facilitate global
research in urban evolutionary ecology. We provide rationales and
descriptions of toolkits for: (1) decolonizing urban evolutionary
ecology; (2) identifying and fostering international collaborative
partnerships; (3) common methods and freely-available datasets for trait
mapping across cities; (4) common methods and freely-available datasets
for cross-city evolutionary ecology experiments; and (5) best practices
and freely available resources for public outreach and communication of
research findings in urban evolutionary ecology. We outline how the
toolkits can be accessed, archived, and modified over time in order to
sustain long-term global research that will advance our understanding of
urban evolutionary ecology.