A Causal Approach to Actionable Research Design

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Identifying Socio-Environmental System Solutions: A Causal Approach to Actionable Research Design 

Solving socio-environmental (S-E) problems requires identifying social actions that can alter the S-E system to protect or enhance socially beneficial outcomes. These actions could be policy interventions, or they could be efforts targeting changes in social behavior. Identifying potential actions requires cross-disciplinary discussion and research planning to elucidate how the components of a S-E system are connected in relation to the desired outcome. To accomplish this goal, this document outlines a diagramming method that can guide a researcher’s or research team’s thinking about complex environmental systems and how their system of interest connects to policy, action, and social outcomes.

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