At a minimum, these four sources of evidence should be explored:
- Scientific literature, including peer reviewed journal articles as well as books and grey literature, as can be searched via online databases such as Google Scholar or other search engines that may be available through academic partners.
- Internal staff expertise. Knowledgeable staff from within your organization should be consulted to identify evidence that they may be aware of, including unpublished reports or data. These staff should also help identify relevant external experts.
- External expertise. It is always advisable to identify at least one external expert to ensure you have not missed any evidence, and it is essential when internal expertise is thin.
- Local experts and stakeholders. Local knowledge includes traditional knowledge and the experience of those that work directly with natural resource management or extraction. As this knowledge may not yet be written down, interviews will often be required to obtain this information.