Target 19, set by the Convention on Biological Diversity, seeks to improve the knowledge, science base, and technologies relating to biodiversity. We will fail to achieve this target unless prolific biases in the field of conservation science are addressed. We reveal that comparatively less research is undertaken in the world's most biodiverse countries, the science conducted in these countries is often not led by researchers based in-country, and these scientists are also underrepresented in important international fora. Mitigating these biases requires wide-ranging solutions: reforming open access publishing policies, enhancing science communication strategies, changing author attribution practices, improving representation in international processes, and strengthening infrastructure and human capacity for research in countries where it is most needed.

Borneo Futures Initiative Ciputat Jakarta Indonesia

Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice České Budějovice Czech Republic

Indonesian Institute of Sciences Pasuruan East Java Indonesia

Institute of Entomology Biology Centre CAS České Budějovice Czech Republic

KPMG Botswana Gaborone Botswana

Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Berlin Germany

School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia

School of Geography Planning and Environmental Management The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia

Nature. 2018 Mar 22;555(7697):443. doi: 10.1038/d41586-018-03392-1. PubMed

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