Arts and Humanities Efforts in the US Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network: Understanding Perceived Values and Challenges - Earth Stewardship: Linking Ecology and Ethics in Theory and Practice - page 248

Fig. 16.3 Perceived value of arts and humanities inquiry for LTER sites

As illustrated in Fig. 16.7 , respondents perceive arts and humanities inquiry to be
valuable. Among the 13 values defi ned in the questionnaire, 3 three proposed values
were ranked 80 % by 14 of the 24 respondents. These values included: (1) Arts

and humanities inquiry fosters outreach and public involvement , (2) Is good in and
of itself , and (3) Inspires creative thinking . Arts and humanities inquiry is also val-
ued because it: (4) Provides opportunities for education and (5) Broadens our
understanding of the natural world . Half the respondents rated these fi ve responses
≥

≥

80 %. There were twice as many responses in the top tier of ≥ 80 % relative value

than in the lowest tier of responses <20 % relative value.
The three least valuable perceived attributes of arts and humanities inquiry are its
ability to: (1) Play a role on grants , (2) Stimulate collaboration , and (3) Enhance
site science in important ways . Eight or more respondents rated these responses
≤ 20 % importance. A number of other values were close behind, including: (4)

Contributes to environmental problem-solving , (5) Enables interdisciplinary schol-
arship , and (6) Stimulates empathy . Six or more respondents ranked all six of these
proposed values

20 % relative importance.
To demonstrate whether arts and humanities inquiry actually facilitates these
outcomes would require additional research. However, the perception is that the
value of arts and humanities inquiry lies more in fostering education, under-

≤

3 Proposed values provided on the survey were determined by the researchers with consultation
from several colleagues and then refi ned during survey development and pilot testing.