How today’s professionals prefer to find the science they need to do their jobs

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At seven focus groups held across the United States, natural resource professionals were asked how they found the science needed to do their jobs. Although searching for science online was mentioned in all groups and by all demographics, how search results were used differed. Early-career professionals used them to find scientific articles to read. Mid- to late-career professionals used them to identify author(s) to contact to discuss results. Open access articles were highly preferred. Viewing webinars and videos was also mentioned frequently. Webinars are falling out of favor while short videos are becoming more popular. Attending scientific meetings remains a preferred approach, but professionals later in their career like them for different reasons than early-career professionals. The two career cohorts also differ in why they like electronic newsletters. Rapid adoption of new technologies to disseminate science has already impacted professionals’ behavior, yet it is not clear that researchers have kept up.