Animal behaviour research is affected by researchers' assumptions and expectations, impacting how the research is conducted, interpretations of behaviours, the research questions addressed, and taxonomic representation. In addition, the choice of which animal subject to include is not random, as recently summarised by the STRANGE framework. The robustness of research findings can also often be unclear without replications and open science practices. Finally, like other academic fields, animal behaviour is also shaped by historical biases influencing whose research is recognised as influential and skewing the scientific discourse.

Recognising the impacts of these biases presents an opportunity for positive change. At the ASAB Winter Meeting 2024, we explore biases in animal behaviour research, and discuss a comprehensive system change towards fairness and inclusion of diverse perspectives. To ensure new insights and more robust science, this transformative shift involves evaluating community needs, fostering cultural changes, and implementing explicit policies.

We aim to publish a special issue with conference proceedings.

The full programme and information for presenters will be published here.
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Public Outreach Lecture

Malin Ah-King, Stockholm University/Örebro University, SWE

Malin Ah-King is an Associate Professor in Gender Studies at Stockholm University/Örebro University, Sweden. She is an evolutionary biologist (PhD) and gender researcher focusing on gender/queer perspectives on biology and feminist science studies of contemporary sexual selection research. Her current project explores a controversy over sex differences in evolutionary biology. She investigates the relationship between science and society through analysing the production of scientific knowledge as well as ignorance. She has published in biological and gender journals, and makes regular contributions to radio, newsprint and podcasts. You can find out more about Malin here.

Tatsuya Amano, The University of Queensland, AUS

Tatsuya is a conservation scientist, committed to making the conservation community, and more broadly academia, more evidence-based, diverse, and inclusive. Tatsuya has been leading the translatE project, which aims to understand the consequences of language barriers in science. The project has shown how language barriers can impede evidence-based biodiversity conservation in three major ways: barriers to (1) the global synthesis of scientific evidence, (2) the application of English-language evidence to local decision making, and (3) the generation of scientific evidence by non-native English speakers. Tatsuya works as a Senior Lecturer at the School of the Environment and Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, at The University of Queensland.

Antica Čulina, Ruđer Bošković Insitute, HRV

My work lies on the interface between open science and meta-science in ecology. With this, I strive to enable ecological research to reach its full potential by researching the scientific process itself, understanding and optimizing it. Before I moved into open science research, I studied the evolutionary ecology of pair bonds, and life-history trade-offs, using mostly birds as a model system. I have co-founded SPI-Birds Network and Database and the Society for Open, Reliable, and Transparent Ecology and Evolutionary biology (SORTEE). Further, I contribute to other open science initiatives such as GoFAIR discovery in, UNESCO Open Science, and Research Data Alliance. I work as a senior research associate at the Ruđer Bošković Institute, Croatia. Before moving back to Croatia, I did my PhD in evolutionary ecology at the University of Oxford, and then worked as a researcher (on open science in ecology) at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology.

The meeting will be held in the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Conveniently located, a mere five-minute walk from Edinburgh Waverley train station, the venue finds itself in the very heart of this vibrant and historic city. There are plenty of places to eat, drink, and visit nearby. A list of accommodation close to the venue can be dowloaded here.

Registration and abstract submission is open
Please use the link below to register your interest in attending the conference, either in person or virtually, and to submit an abstract for your conference contribution. There is no registration fee. As the conference venue has limited availability (less than 300 spaces) and we want to enable attendance for as many people as possible interested in the conference, we will ask you to confirm your in-person attendance via e-mail as we get closer to the conference. If you fail to respond, we reserve the right to allocate places to people who confirmed their attendance. Please note that if you do not confirm your in-person attendance, we cannot guarantee entry to the conference venue.
Abstract submission is now closed, but please use this link to register your interest to attend the conference: Registration of interest and abstract submission

ASAB Conference attendance grants
Deadline for conference attendance grants up to £500 (all applicants): 1st October 2024
Deadline for conference attendance grants up to £2500 (Developing Country Applicant): 1st August 2024
Deadline for childcare and accessibility conference attendance grants: 1st October 2024
Eligibility criteria and information on how to apply: www.asab.org/grants-and-awards.

Code of Conduct
As the organisational committee of the ASAB Winter Meeting 2024, it is our fundamental mission to host an event for animal behaviour professionals to meet, connect, develop new collaborations, learn from each other, share scientific ideas, and build knowledge. Bringing together people from different walks of life, we wish this conference to be held in a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming atmosphere. To ensure this, we ask all participants to adhere to our Code of Conduct .

ASAB is running a science communication competition for our members attending the ASAB Winter Meeting 2024! To enter the competition, use this form to submit a 1-2 minute video presenting your (favourite) cool animal behaviour research on the theme of the 2024 Winter Meeting "Addressing biases in the field of animal behaviour".

Rules
Your video needs to include Closed Captions and should not exceed 500MB. You must have the rights to use all video footage contained in your video (e.g. any images/videos of animals should have been taken by you or be openly available under a Creative Commons license).
The deadline for submissions is Dec 1st, 2024.

Prizes
There will be 2 prizes of £100 -- 1 decided by ASAB Council and 1 “people’s choice” to be judged at the ASAB Winter conference. As well as the cash prize, the winning videos will be featured on the ASAB website, newsletters, and social media accounts.

Thanks so much for your entry to this competition! Good luck!