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On Bridging Research and Practice in Disaster Science and Management: Unified System or Impossible Mission?

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Handbook of Disaster Research

Abstract

This chapter explores the relationship between research and practice. It argues that much can be accomplished by thinking about the emerging and rapidly evolving profession of Disaster Science and Management as a shared enterprise that includes both academics and practitioners. The chapter identifies some characteristics of academics and practitioners that are well suited to improving the profession. It provides descriptions of critical roles that individuals in this area are already engaging in or might engage in. It includes a discussion of barriers to a more-connected and cross-fertilized community and highlights several historical and ongoing efforts to improve the connection between research and application. It concludes with a discussion of the future of research and practice in disaster science and management and a discussion of the research agenda for this topic.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See for example, Lucien Canton (2007) Emergency Management: Concepts and Strategies for Effective Programs, which provides insights on the field of emergency management derived from a lifetime of service in senior roles such as the Director of Emergency Services for the City of San Francisco.

  2. 2.

    See https://training.fema.gov/hiedu/collegelist/embadegree/ for a list of current Emergency Management degree options. Last accessed June 14, 2017.

  3. 3.

    https://hazards.colorado.edu/ . Last accessed June 15, 2017.

  4. 4.

    https://training.fema.gov/hiedu/ . Last accessed June 15, 2017.

  5. 5.

    http://dels.nas.edu/global/dr/Board-Members. Last accessed June 15, 2017.

  6. 6.

    https://www.iaem.com/. Last accessed June 15, 2017.

  7. 7.

    See: https://www.ndsu.edu/emgt/graduate/current_students/research_resources/ for a useful list of centers. Last accessed June 15, 2017.

  8. 8.

    See Green, Ottoson, Garcia, Hiatt, and Roditis, (2014) for an example of this type of work in Public Health.

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Correspondence to Joseph E. Trainor .

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Trainor, J.E., Stern, E.K., Subbio, T. (2018). On Bridging Research and Practice in Disaster Science and Management: Unified System or Impossible Mission?. In: Rodríguez, H., Donner, W., Trainor, J. (eds) Handbook of Disaster Research. Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63254-4_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63254-4_9

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