The author discusses a gap between the biological and social sciences that limits the effectiveness of conservation action. The article summarizes results of an online survey to assess world views, perspectives about the role of social science in conservation, and perceived barriers to collaboration between social and natural scientists. The respondents perceived "the strongest barriers to integration of the social sciences as:
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the lack of common vocabulary between biologists and social scientists,
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the fact that traditional academic reward systems discourage interdisciplinary collaboration and applied problem solving,
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the lack of funding for collaborative work, and
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limited opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.