Investigating the Influence of Ethical and Epistemic Values on Decisions in the Watershed Modeling Process

Throughout the watershed modeling process, modelers, collaborators, and stakeholders make decisions about how to study various challenges that impact watersheds. To understand these decisions, we investigated values held by modelers who have worked or collaborated on projects within Chesapeake Bay Watershed their influence made during process. Using a mixed-methodological approach, designed an online survey semistructured interviews evaluate complexities. In total, received 27 responses from conducted four interviews. The results indicate ethical epistemic every stage of These occur alongside motivations, outcomes, objectives often involve collaborators in addition modelers. Therefore, including scientific discourse can increase transparency around guides policy decision making processes. Our articulate discussion present throughout process should be incorporated into model documentation clearly explain assumptions decisions.