A review of citizen science and community-based environmental monitoring: issues and opportunities
Abstract
Worldwide, decision-makers and nongovernment organizations are increasing their use of citizen volunteers to enhance their ability to monitor and manage natural resources, track species at risk, and conserve protected areas. We reviewed the last 10 years of relevant citizen science literature for areas of consensus, divergence, and knowledge gaps. Different community-based monitoring (CBM) activities and governance structures were examined and contrasted. Literature was examined for evidence of common benefits, challenges, and recommendations for successful citizen science. Two major gaps were identified: (1) a need to compare and contrast the success (and the situations that induce success) of CBM programs which present sound evidence of citizen scientists influencing positive environmental changes in the local ecosystems they monitor and (2) more case studies showing use of CBM data by decision-makers or the barriers to linkages and how these might be overcome. If new research focuses on these gaps, and on the differences of opinions that exist, we will have a much better understanding of the social, economic, and ecological benefits of citizen science.
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These arrangements tend to reinforce the exclusion of local or experiential knowledge observed in other research.
“These arrangements tend to reinforce the exclusion of local or experiential knowledge observed in other research, although the promise of citizen science is increasingly being recognised (Conrad and Hilchey, 2011).”
From Policy-driven monitoring and evaluation: Does it support adaptive management of socio-ecological systems? (2019) · cites this paper as Conrad and Hilchey, 2011
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- Authors
- Conrad, C. C., & Hilchey, K. G.
- Affiliations
- Saint Mary's University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Hilchey, Krista G.
- Venue
- Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
- Published
- 2010-07-17
- Volume
- 176
- Issue
- 1-4
- Pages
- 273-291
- ISSN
- 0167-6369 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-2959
- OpenAlex
- W2152608856
- Cited by
- 1,398
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 74 · 2025: 105 · 2024: 108 · 2023: 118 · 2022: 115 · 2021: 153 · 2020: 106 · 2019: 104 · 2018: 108 · 2017: 106 · 2016: 106 · 2015: 73 · 2014: 56 · 2013: 32 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 2.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Conservation, Ecology, Wildlife Education
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Indigenous Studies and Ecology
- Keywords
- citizen science, community-based environmental monitoring, volunteer monitoring, natural resource management, protected area conservation, barriers to data use
- MeSH terms
- Environmental Monitoring, Humans, Residence Characteristics
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