TRACKS: Six good practices for Non-Indigenous Species research and their SWOT evaluation

Addressing the challenges posed by Non Indigenous Species (NIS) demands coordinated efforts across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. In this study, we used the Italian research network as a case study to identify and evaluate measures designed to enhance NIS research through a structured, interactive, and expert-driven strategy.

The process began with a comprehensive evaluation of ongoing activities, research methodologies, and specific needs. This assessment informed the development of an initial set of proposals, which were collectively discussed and refined, leading to the identification of six good practices identified by the acronym TRACKS and described as: i ) Tracking NIS in data collections; ii ) Reference protocols for NIS data collection; iii ) Active participation through citizen science and local ecological knowledge; iv ) Collaboration in data sharing according to the FAIR principles; v ) Knowledge Hub as centralized data repository for NIS data; vi ) Strategic communication to raise public awareness and support public engagement.

A SWOT framework was then applied to analyze the internal and external factors influencing the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats associated with each practice. Consensus-building techniques were used throughout the evaluation process to ensure the robustness of outcomes. Finally, a quantitative assessment of the SWOT analysis was conducted with 90 NIS experts working in terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems. This approach provided valuable insights into differing perceptions and enabled a clear presentation of six good practices to be consistently applied across NIS research systems.