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The Citizen Science Paradox

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  • Benjamin Bergerot

    (ECOBIO—UMR CNRS 6553, Univ. Rennes 1, F-35042 Rennes, France)

Abstract

Citizen science (CS) is now very popular in ecology. The number of scientific publications referencing CS has increased steadily over the past 15 years, with more than 1150 publications today. However, the multiplicity of research involved suggests that this number is highly underestimated. Based on this paradox, a literature review on CS shows that while its formalization in 2009 facilitated its referencing, about 70% of the publications are not referenced using CS as keyword. To understand this under-representation, an analysis of 149 publications related to the famous Christmas Bird Count program shows that this underestimation is not mainly related to the diversity of keywords used to describe CS, but rather to the fact that CS is mainly considered as a method (four publications out of five). The results also show that taking into account the whole text of a publication would represent a substantial improvement for the analysis of scientific databases, whatever the field of research.

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin Bergerot, 2022. "The Citizen Science Paradox," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-12, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:8:p:1151-:d:871752
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ria Dunkley & Susan Baker & Natasha Constant & Angelina Sanderson-Bellamy, 2018. "Enabling the IPBES conceptual framework to work across knowledge boundaries," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 18(6), pages 779-799, December.
    2. Vincent Devictor & Chris van Swaay & Tom Brereton & Lluís Brotons & Dan Chamberlain & Janne Heliölä & Sergi Herrando & Romain Julliard & Mikko Kuussaari & Åke Lindström & Jiří Reif & David B. Roy & Ol, 2012. "Differences in the climatic debts of birds and butterflies at a continental scale," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 2(2), pages 121-124, February.
    3. Cornwall, Andrea & Jewkes, Rachel, 1995. "What is participatory research?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 41(12), pages 1667-1676, December.
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    1. Gheorghe-Gavrilă Hognogi & Monika Meltzer & Filip Alexandrescu & Lucrina Ștefănescu, 2023. "The role of citizen science mobile apps in facilitating a contemporary digital agora," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-16, December.

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