Project 5.2 In Australia, assessments of species’ conservation status are routinely based on information such as population size and trends, distributional extent, and threats. When a species is poorly known and these data do not exist, that species is unlikely to be assessed. It is likely that many of Australia’s poorly known species would qualify as threatened if we had the data to assess them properly. In collaboration with relevant stakeholders this project will develop new approaches for conservation status assessments for poorly known species, investigate the risks and benefits of using the precautionary principle and the application of a ‘Data Deficient’ category. The results will improve conservation outcomes for poorly known species and increase the comprehensiveness of assessment processes.