Is ecology different when studied with citizen scientists? A bibliometric analysis.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Environmental Science
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Citizen science (CitSci) involves public participation in scientific research, co-producing data and knowledge.
• The use of CitSci in ecology has grown significantly, but its impact on academic knowledge is understudied.
• Understanding the qualitative contribution of CitSci to ecological research is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the epistemic content of ecology articles that use citizen science with those that do not.
• To determine if citizen science articles differ in their thematic focus and approach compared to traditional ecological research.
• To assess the integration of citizen science within the broader field of ecology.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of keywords and abstracts from ecological articles published over the last decade.
• Disentangling articles into those explicitly mentioning citizen science and traditional, non-CitSci articles.
• Keyword co-occurrence and thematic map analyses to identify thematic differences and similarities.

Main Results:

• Both CitSci and non-CitSci articles broadly cover biodiversity, conservation, and climate change.
• CitSci articles were more descriptive, while non-CitSci articles focused more on ecological mechanisms.
• Conservation biology, socio-ecosystems, and ecosystem services were prominent in CitSci research, whereas climate change impacts were more central to non-CitSci studies.

Conclusions:

• Citizen science is well-integrated into core ecological research themes.
• Subtle differences exist in thematic emphasis and approach between CitSci and traditional ecological research.
• CitSci contributes to ecology by offering a more descriptive perspective, particularly in conservation biology and socio-ecosystems.