Research Counts

The Research Counts series serves as a platform for hazards and disaster scholars to provide insights about research findings and the enduring lessons of disaster, as well as to raise new questions that are worthy of exploration. The pieces in the series are brief, drawn from a variety of disciplines, and intended for a broad audience.



By Jennifer Blanks

Cemeteries are invaluable resources that honor our dead, preserve our history, and sustain our cultural identity. This article examines available resources to protect these places and reminds us that such work should be practical and equitable.


By Ronald Schumann and Elyse Zavar

Although commemorations of disaster are often seen as a universal good that promotes remembrance, community, and healing, they might not be perceived that way by all. This article details the value of commemorations and ways to ensure they are just and inclusive.


By Lori Peek, Heather Champeau, Sudha Arlikatti, Jennifer Tobin, Laurie Schmidt, and Zach Zorich

Read about the latest Research Counts Special Collection in this introduction to the series focused on international perspectives at every stage of disaster management.


By Jamile Kitnurse, Hans Louis-Charles, and Benigno Aguirre

This article explains how community solidarity can discourage criminal activity in the absence of a timely humanitarian response. This research explores the power of community in U.S. Virgin Islands and finds that pro-social behavior is prevalent.


By Mary M. Nelan, Samantha Penta, and Tricia Wachtendorf

Unsolicited donations after a disaster can create logistical challenges and aren't helpful to survivors. This article sheds light on the disconnect between what people want to give and what people actually can use after a disaster.


By Alice Fothergill

Childcare center preparedness expectations are different from other child-serving institutions. This article uses a New Zealand case study to offer strategies to support childcare center preparedness and overcome obstacles in implementing policies and procedures.


By Carla Prater, Jiuchang Wei, Fei Wang, Yue Ge, Michael K. Lindell, and Hung-Lung Wei

Health risk communications are more successful when conveyed by trusted stakeholders in ways sensitive to local contexts. Learn how perceptions of stakeholder expertise and trustworthiness impact decision-making.


By Harri Raisio, Alisa Puustinen, and Vesa Valtonen

Finnish society provides an example of how non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other groups can co-create safer and more secure societies together—as well as the challenges co-creation processes can introduce. This Research Counts explores a framework for co-creation using regional forums with 188 participants from public entities and NGOs.


By Timothy J. Haney

This article uses the example of the 2013 floods in Calgary to focus the importance of social capital in disaster while also illustrating how perceptions of place can change after a major event.


By Kyle Breen and Michelle Annette Meyer

This article highlights the experiences of college students after the 2016 Louisiana floods and shows how social stratification can influence education educational and long-term outcomes and what higher education systems can do to support students during disasters.


If you are interested in contributing to this series, please contact Natural Hazards Center Director Lori Peek directly at lori.peek@colorado.edu.


Acknowledgements

Research Counts is made possible with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF Award #1635593) and supplemental support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-National Integrated Drought Information System (NOAA-NIDIS). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF, FEMA, NOAA-NIDIS, or Natural Hazards Center.