LB 26-223 - Web-based evidence entry form enables consistent extraction and knowledge banking

Meta-analysis and systematic review are powerful tools in ecology that often require the extraction of data from hundreds or even thousands of disparate studies. To facilitate consistent and transparent data extraction from a broad range of study designs, we developed an evidence entry form within the open-source Health Assessment Workspace Collaborative (HAWC) software application that is tailored to the extraction of causal information in ecological and environmental science publications. HAWC is an established tool that is used by institutions including EPA, NIH and WHO for human health and environmental assessments. Scientists across ecological and technological disciplines with expertise in assessment science went through an iterative process for form development and testing with real world scientific publications. The form is backed by a database structure that logically relates information about (a) a publication, (b) the conditions under which individual experimental designs within the publication are conducted, and (c) the cause-effect relationships that are observed and measured within experimental designs. Authors developed an ontology of controlled terminology to enable consistent extraction and characterization of causes and effects. Utilization of this entry form will enable the storage and reuse of qualitative and quantitative ecological and environmental evidence from publications. Evidence can then be analyzed for a range of synthesis applications, including causal assessments, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Future capabilities of the form in the HAWC environment include creation of summary tables and visualizations. Ultimately, this tool we have developed will improve evidence extraction and storage and facilitate the creation of transparent scientific assessments used to inform decision-making. The views expressed in this abstract are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views or the policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.