Abstract
Abstract Researchers and practitioners are increasingly using methods from the social sciences to address complex conservation challenges. This brings benefits but also the responsibility to understand the suitability and limitations of these methods in different contexts. After years of use in other disciplines, the unmatched count technique (UCT) has recently been adopted by conservation scientists to investigate illegal and socially undesirable human behaviours. Here we provide guidance for practitioners and researchers on how to apply UCT effectively, and outline situations where it will be the most and least appropriate. We reviewed 101 publications in refereed journals that used UCT to draw conclusions on its use to date and provide recommendations on when and how to use the method effectively in conservation. In particular, we explored: type of studies undertaken (e.g. disciplines; behaviour being studied; rationale for using UCT); survey administration (e.g. sample size, pilot studies, administration mode); UCT outcomes (e.g. type of analyses, estimates, comparison with other methods); and type of recommendations. We show that UCT has been used across multiple disciplines and contexts, with 10 studies that focus on conservation and natural resource use. The UCT has been used to investigate topics falling into five categories: socially undesirable behaviours, socially undesirable views, illegal or non‐compliant behaviours, socially desirable behaviours; and personal topics (e.g. being HIV positive). It has been used in 51 countries and is suitable to several situations, but limitations do exist, and the method does not always improve reporting of sensitive topics. We provide best‐practice guidance to researchers and practitioners considering using UCT. We highlight that alternate methods should be considered if sample sizes are likely to be small, the behaviour in question is likely to be extremely rare, or if the behaviour is not particularly sensitive. UCT can be a useful tool for estimating the extent of non‐compliance within a conservation context, but as with all scientific investigation, careful study design, robust sampling and consistent implementation are required in order for it to be effective.
Highlights
We show that unmatched count technique (UCT) has been used across multiple disciplines and contexts, with 10 studies that focus on conservation and natural resource use
Researchers and practitioners working on complex conservation challenges are increasingly encouraged to adopt social science methods to better understand human behaviour
To explore potential effectiveness of UCT, we focused on the 73 studies comparing UCT to direct questions, which had a total of 229 separate UCT lists
Summary
Researchers and practitioners working on complex conservation challenges are increasingly encouraged to adopt social science methods to better understand human behaviour The single sample count (Petroczi et al, 2011), utilizes existing data on population prevalence of innocuous characteristics (e.g. birth month or final digit of telephone number) This approach avoids the need to estimate the prevalence of non-sensitive items meaning all participants are asked the sensitive question (see Appendix S2). Our own experience, to provide best practice guidelines to conservationists, highlighting when to use UCT, potential pitfalls and robust study design tips This will provide a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities for employing UCT, allowing more critical and robust applications of this method for improving data collection about sensitive behaviours, and informing conservation decisions
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
