Distrust within protected area and natural resource management: A systematic review protocol

Area of Science:

• Environmental Social Science
• Conservation Biology
• Natural Resource Management

Background:

• Trust is crucial for effective natural resource management, yet distrust is often cited as a barrier.
• Distrust is frequently mentioned but lacks clear definition, conceptual development, and consistent examination in research.
• Understanding distrust is essential for improving collaborative conservation and resource governance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize the conceptualization of distrust in protected area and natural resource management.
• To identify and categorize the methods used to gather evidence of distrust in this field.
• To provide a comprehensive overview of theoretical approaches and empirical findings related to distrust.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review protocol registered on OSF (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/GKUAW).
• Searches across four academic and eight gray literature databases using Boolean keyword searches.
• Inclusion criteria focus on original research presenting evidence of distrust in protected areas and/or natural resource management.

Main Results:

• This protocol outlines the planned synthesis of how distrust is defined and theoretically developed.
• It details the methods and questions employed to uncover and measure distrust in management contexts.
• The review will summarize factors contributing to and resulting from distrust.

Conclusions:

• A clear understanding of distrust's conceptualization and measurement is needed for effective natural resource management.
• This systematic review will provide a foundational synthesis of existing knowledge on distrust in conservation.
• Findings will inform future research and practice aimed at mitigating the negative impacts of distrust.