Citation

Kinateder M, Ronchi E. Fire Technol. 2019; 55(6): 1931-1935.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10694-019-00867-z

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Research on human behaviour in fire (HBiF) is rooted in fire protection engineering but is multidisciplinary in its nature [1]. Conference and journal articles are often authored by experts from various fields such as fire protection engineering, architecture, evacuation modelling, human factors, psychology, traffic engineering, neuroscience, applied mathematics, computer science, sociology, and probably many more. This makes intuitively sense, given that HBiF research is situated at the intersection of the (built) environment, fire, and people. While the promises of such a diverse field are manifold, Kuligowski has warned about the inherent challenge of "silo-ing" [1]: while researchers may be productive within their own disciplines, they risk ignoring work from other disciplines as well as failing to communicate their work beyond their peers. A way forward could lie in the development of a common glossary, similar to recent attempts in related fields [2].

The lack of a common research vocabulary in HBiF poses a particular challenge for researchers, who often need to assess research quality outside of their own field. Empirical sciences, such as psychology, typically refer to the "objectivity, reliability, and validity" of a method [3], whereas engineering oriented disciplines like evacuation modelling require "verification and validation" [4]. The former is based on the dilemma that researchers in HBiF often need to measure variables that are not directly observable (e.g., perceived risk [5], cognitive biases [6], or some other psychological construct). These latent variables have to rely on manifest observations (e.g., responses in a questionnaire, measurements taken in a lab, video recordings, etc.) [7]. The latter is based on the need to adequately define and execute testing procedures. Here, we discuss and compare these approaches, illustrate challenges, and hopefully will suggest a way forward to burn down some of the silos in HBiF...

Language: en