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National
Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center

Bridging boundaries for research & discovery.

The National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) brings together the science of the natural world with the science of social systems and decision making to solve problems at the human-environment interface. For 10 years, SESYNC has accelerated research and learning that seeks to understand the structure, functioning, and sustainability of coupled social and environmental systems. To further this work, we invite you to explore our research and learning resources.

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Center Highlights

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Explainer: What Are Ethnographic Methods?
This brief, introductory article explains the fundamentals of ethnography and provides examples of ethnography-driven research questions, as well as published research that integrates ethnographic methods.
A preview of the October 2026 newsletter with an aerial photo of farm fields. The bottom text reads: “Humans & Land: Seeking Common Ground”
Our Latest Newsletter
This month we're exploring the complex relationship between humans and the land they use and inhabit.
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Critical Discourse Analysis: Artificial Intelligence, Social Network, & Social Media Analysis
This explainer shows how researchers can harness software’s quantitative analytical power to enjoy new qualitative insights about complex socio-environmental interactions.