Citizen Science Studies in Nursing: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Public Health
• Environmental Health

Background:

• Citizen science involves public participation in research, offering benefits like empowerment and societal relevance.
• In nursing research, citizen science can foster new hypotheses and address community-important issues.
• Establishing a common framework is crucial for the evolution of citizen science in nursing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review nursing projects utilizing a citizen science approach.
• To analyze the methodologies, research areas, and participation levels in these projects.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted.
• Searches across major databases (PubMed, CINHAL, LILACS, IBECS, Cochrane) identified relevant studies.
• 13 studies were included after screening, with quality assessed using JBI and CSAT tools.

Main Results:

• Citizen science in nursing is a recent development (2017-2023), with environmental health as a key area.
• Photovoice and Our Voice were prominent methodologies; participation often limited to data collection/analysis.
• While findings were positive, no study achieved high quality on the Citizen Science Appraisal Tool (CSAT) scale.

Conclusions:

• Citizen science presents a promising avenue for nursing research.
• Increased citizen participation is needed to maximize bidirectional benefits.
• Developing a common theoretical framework and advancing the methodology are imperative.