Navigation and the environment: Understanding the interaction between human navigation behaviour and terrain through Agent-Based Modelling in the wilderness

Principal investigators:

Krystal Dacey, PhD Candidate, Doctor of Philosophy, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, kdacey@csu.edu.au, 0417 456 627

A/Prof Rachel Whitsed, PhD Supervisor, Associate Dean (Academic), Faculty of Science and Health, Charles Sturt University, rwhited@csu.edu.au, 02 6051 9641

Dr Prue Gonzalez, PhD Co-supervisor, Sub-Dean, Learning and Teaching and Senior Lecturer in Environmental Management, Charles Sturt University, pgonzalez@csu.edu.au, 02 6582 9407

Overview:

Human navigation is linked to the terrain through which a person is navigating, particularly in a wilderness environment. This project aims to explore this theory by looking at how and where people move in the wilderness by combining human navigation behaviour and environmental data into a spatial model. The model will attempt to understand the interaction between human behaviour and the environment to predict the movement of humans in the wilderness for use in search and rescue, emergency management and protected area management.

You are invited to participate in a research project which will use spatial modelling to determine the most likely areas that a person might travel to based on the environment and their behaviour. Your experiences in the Australian wilderness will provide insight and behavioural information to better inform the model and assist in obtaining accurate movement data.

Before you decide whether or not you wish to participate in this study, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take the time to read the following information carefully.

What is the purpose of the study?

The main objective of this research is to develop an agent-based model that will be able to predict aggregated human navigation behaviour in order to examine the interaction between human navigation and the environment. This model needs to take into account information such as terrain, geographic features, decision-making, goal setting and human navigation behaviour.

Why have I been invited to participate in this study?

To develop an accurate model that can effectively estimate the possible movement of humans in the wilderness, the navigational and decision-making behaviours of people are essential inputs. Gaining insight into local experience is important to give depth to the model and determine the appropriate input as well as ensure the accuracy of the output through validation. As a person over 18 years of age who has spent time in the Australian wilderness, your thoughts and experience are a valuable resource to provide additional insight.

What does this study involve?

If you agree to participate you must first read this information sheet. By clicking on the Start Questionnaire button you are consenting to complete a short questionnaire, including demographic information, a set of questions to determine sense of direction and some questions about your wilderness experience. Additionally, you will be invited to provide GPS tracks of previous wilderness experiences exported from your GPS devices if available. Wilderness experiences with a minimum of two-hours duration are requested, with a maximum of 10 GPS uploads per person.

Once you have agreed to participate in the study, it is requested that you advise the researcher of your planned wilderness experiences prior to departure, where you will be provided with a short questionnaire asking questions about your planned destination, goals and route details. Following your experience, you will be invited to submit another short questionnaire about if your plans changed and if any events or factors influenced your movement, as well as upload your GPS track from the experience. Any wilderness experiences with a minimum duration of two-hours are invited during the collection period of February 2023 – October 2023.

Are there any risks and benefits to me taking part in this study?

There are no foreseeable risks in participating in this study, however, if you are feeling uncomfortable or change your mind about participating, you can discontinue the questionnaire at any time. There are no immediate benefits of you taking part in this study, but the results will help develop a model to predict human movement in the wilderness, which has benefits for use in search and rescue, emergency management and protected area management.

Will taking part in this study cost me anything, and will I be paid?

It is estimated that the questionnaire will take about fifteen minutes of your time. Additional time may be spent providing GPS tracks to the researchers. The questionnaires before and after a wilderness experience will take approximately 5-10 minutes each. There are no additional costs associated with participating in this research, and you will not be paid.

What if I don’t want to take part in this study?

Participation in this research is entirely your choice. Only those people who give their informed consent will be included in the project. Whether or not you decide to participate is your decision and will not disadvantage you. You can stop the initial questionnaire at any time by closing the form. You can withdraw from the project at any time by contacting the researchers and do not have to give a reason.

How will my confidentiality be protected?

The only identifiable participant data collected will be your name and email address, which will be used to match all the data you provide during the collection period (February 2023 – October 2023). Once the data collection period has finished, your name and email will be removed from the dataset and replaced with a unique ID. This unique ID will represent your questionnaire details and GPS tracks. No person will be individually identified in publications arising from this research.

What will happen to the information I give you?

Deidentified questionnaire and GPS information will be stored digitally on the researchers’ password-protected computers for a minimum of 5 years after the conclusion of the project. If you choose to exit the study, please let the researchers know if you would prefer your data is not stored. Data collected may be used in future research projects however no participant data will be individually identified in any publications arising from this data. Names and email addresses will be stored separately from any data collected from the questionnaire.

What should I do if I want to discuss this study further before I decide?

If you would like further information, please contact Krystal Dacey, kdacey@csu.edu.au

Who should I contact if I have concerns about the conduct of this study?

Charles Sturt University’s Human Research Ethics Committee has approved this project. If you have any complaints or reservations about the ethical conduct of this project, you may contact the Governance Officer on (02) 6933 4213 or ethics@csu.edu.au. Any issues you raise will be treated in confidence and investigated fully, and you will be informed of the outcome.