Abstract:
This thesis examines the sources utilized by researchers at the Oregon Climate Change Research Institution in the Third Oregon Climate Assessment Report, published in 2017. The report follows Oregon legislation from 2007, creating the Institute and requiring reporting biannually on the state of Oregon’s changing climate. The legislation’s intention is to be better informed when making environmental decisions impacting its residents. But how thorough is the research behind the report, and does it really represent findings from study sites across the state? This study takes a random sampling of 100 of the source articles from the Third Oregon Climate Assessment Report and analyzes their study locations, the variables investigated, and the frequency with which those sources have been utilized by other papers. The goal of this investigation is to determine whether Oregon’s 2007 legislation and the research it prompted really are enough to prepare for a the healthy future of Oregon’s climate, residents, and wildlife.