Survey questions and responses for Next-Generation Sonoran Desert researchers Border Survey

The U.S.-Mexico border is a region of significant biological and cultural diversity that is of interest to scientists from a wide variety of disciplines. It is also an area of humanitarian crisis and contentious politics. U.S. and Mexican researchers who conduct fieldwork on both sides of the border are faced with ethical and logistical challenges in the course of their daily work. In our study, we find that researchers are faced with challenges ranging from difficulty in obtaining permits and accessing lands in border regions, to fear and intimidation along the militarized zones. Despite many having had direct experiences that affect their safety, most researchers feel safe working in the region and adapt their behavior by staying away from risky places. However, in the midst of a humanitarian crisis, the research community is left caught in the middle when their work intersects with civil and human rights.

We present survey data that examines of the effects of U.S. Border policies on scientific research, specifically those researchers conducting fieldwork on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border. While anecdotal accounts exist, we present the first quantifiable data on this subject and document the interactions that field researchers have with authorities and people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, and the impacts that these interactions have on their ability to conduct research