Known and unknown biases: a framework for contextualising and identifying bias in animal behaviour research

Biases in animal behaviour research are inevitable consequences of our societal and cultural standpoint. To remove our biases, the first stage is to identify them. We call on individual researchers to adopt a more active approach to addressing bias within their research. We propose that biases exist within a matrix defined by the general acceptance of a bias's existence and the understanding of the impact this bias has on research outputs. Borrowing from a conceptual framework previously applied to the study of biodiversity, our matrix consists of four categories: “known knowns” are biases we are aware exist and are empirically tested; “known unknowns” are biases we know of but have limits to being mitigated against; “unknown knowns” are biases which we know exist but are overlooked; and “unknown unknowns” are biases we are unaware exist. Contextualising biases in this way, we believe, will lead to greater investment by individual researchers to locate and mitigate biases in their own research. To facilitate this process, we provide a set of self-reflective questions designed to help researchers critically evaluate the assumptions, limitations, and generalisability of their research. By acknowledging and addressing biases within this framework, we move toward a more robust and trustworthy scientific process.