BIAZA Research Committee

The BIAZA Research Committee plays an increasingly important role in zoo and aquarium conservation, research and education by supporting and stimulating research activities in our member collections. The main aims of the committee are to communicate the importance and benefits of zoo and aquarium related research, to act as a stimulus and technical assistant for Taxon Working Groups (TWG) and educators on research issues and to raise the quality and profile of zoo-related research within and outside the zoo community.  

The BIAZA Research Committee is comprised of those working in zoo and conservation related research. The committee organizes the Annual Zoo Research Symposium, which attracts an increasing number of academic and zoo professionals as well as students. Themed sessions and workshops are aimed at increasing the understanding of the influences on zoo animal welfare, and topics have included measuring stress, improving diet and nutrition and studying visitor effects. The proceedings of the symposium are published (ISSN 1479-7100).

The Research Committee has produced a series of  Zoo Research Guidelines for researchers in zoos and aquariums (ISSN 1479-5647) which has now been compiled into a Handbook of Zoo Research, which covers setting up projects in zoos and aquariums. It also puts together a regular Research Newsletter which you can sign up to. The newsletter is a tool for communication regarding the type of research studies being carried out in zoos.    

Throughout the Research Committee's activities, runs the theme of enhancing animal welfare and best practice in animal management through applied research in animal biology. The committee is working to extend this theme by supporting zoo and aquarium management when evaluating education tools. 

The BIAZA Research Committee has been instrumental in the development of the Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research, which provides a forum for rapid publication of novel, peer-reviewed research papers, reviews, technical reports and evidence-based case studies.  

If you are interested in carrying out research in BIAZA zoos and aquariums, please see Chapter 1 of the Handbook of Zoo Research.