Unravelling the plot: Co‐producing visualisations of palaeo‐data to improve their utility in conservation practice

Abstract Palaeoecological research can provide valuable long‐term information to support conservation efforts but is often poorly communicated to practitioners. One component of this challenge is the way in which data and results are visualised—often in complex stratigraphic plots that are unfamiliar to most conservation practitioners. We conducted a survey of palaeoecological researchers to understand their perceptions about the ways in which palaeo‐data are visualised and their experiences of co‐producing data visualisations with conservation practitioners. Two case studies were provided by the survey respondents. The majority of respondents (97%) agreed that it was important for palaeo‐data to be well presented for non‐expert audiences but only 34% thought that this was currently done successfully. The most important issues with presentation were identified as: (i) the plot being too busy and overwhelming; (ii) inclusion of complex statistical subplots; and (iii) no explanation of acronyms or technical language. Through examination of responses and case studies, we suggest several ways to improve the accessibility of palaeo‐data graphics, including decreasing use of technical language, considering alternative presentations of temporal scaling, enhancing training in areas of visual display, design and science communication, and exploring options for post‐publication dissemination of research. Importantly, we recommend that these practices be developed through close collaboration with intended end users. Practical implication . Adopting the recommendations in this paper could help ensure that palaeoecological research findings are communicated to practitioners in clearer, more accessible ways, thereby improving their integration into conservation management and decision‐making.