Animal wellbeing, conservation, research, and education: Supporting people in caring professions

Hundreds of thousands of people across various fields are working in diverse professions, such as animal caregivers, veterinary professionals, educators, researchers, conservationists, and many others who are dedicated to the well-being of animals in human care, as well as wildlife species and the conservation of natural habitats.

Research into the well-being of individuals in zoos, aquariums, rehabilitation centers, sanctuaries, universities, and other organizations is vital in supporting not only those who have devoted their work and personal lives to helping others but also the goals of contemporary and purpose-driven organizations focused on animal well-being, research, conservation, and education.

People in these professions can experience a variety of negative stressors, including excessive workload and inadequate compensation, working in remote locations, lack of social support, as well as witnessing the decline of species and environmental destruction. However, working in these fields also brings many positive experiences, such as successfully improving and maintaining excellence in animal care and well-being, enjoying good teamwork, contributing to research and education goals, saving species through breeding and release, supporting local communities, and protecting habitats. Understanding the individual, team, leadership, and organizational aspects and dimensions of human well-being in its full spectrum is fundamental to supporting individuals in these varied professions. Through short-term and long-term efforts, the aim is to help them feel fulfilled and supported while continuing their impactful work.

Topics and themes that are welcome in this Research Topic include:

• Human wellbeing dimensions (including environmental, financial, etc.)
• Individual wellbeing and self-care strategies
• Leadership and team approaches to support human wellbeing in the workplace
• Organizational approaches to support human wellbeing in the workplace
• Working in remote locations
• Working under duress
• Moral distress
• Human-non human animal interconnection
• Community

We encourage submissions of original research, brief research reports, systematic reviews, methodological papers, literature reviews, mini-reviews, policy and practice reviews, community case studies, and brief reports on research findings.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Human wellbeing, animal wellbeing, animal care, conservation, wildlife, saving species, interdisciplinary, individual, team, leadership, organisational

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.