Public participation in biodiversity research across Latin America: Dissecting an emerging topic in the Neotropics

Public inclusion in scientific endeavors has spread worldwide. Although participatory research has not been oblivious in Latin America, studies are better known from specific countries and the social sciences. We used an academic search engine for compiling the digital literature regarding public participation in biodiversity research (PPBR) performed in Latin America to understand its development, enable its comparison with similar research performed elsewhere, and contribute to the regional progress of the discipline. We obtained information for about 245 projects from the examined literature, observing that the growth of PPBR in Latin America has been substantial during the last two decades. Most studies were developed following a contributory approach, including the general public in a passive way. Encouraging the active involvement of participants in several research stages should deserve more attention for using the results in application issues, promoting environ-mental education, fostering long-term projects, facilitating decision making, and improving local socioecological conditions. In general, PPBR in Latin America is emulating a citizen science approach imported from developed countries. Future investigations could advocate to develop co-created and contractual projects for a more contextualized, equitable, and comprehensive research agenda. Impacts of PPBR in Latin America have been mostly academic; thus, further attempts must seek for inducing positive outcomes on the environment, pro-ductive activities, education, politics, and governance. Special attention should be paid to co-creating projects with rural, especially indigenous communities, including diverse knowledge systems, research approaches, and fostering transdisciplinary investigations, to increase our understanding of a bioculturally diverse Latin America through PPBR.

Automated summary

Public participation in biodiversity research in Latin America has experienced substantial growth in the past two decades. Most studies have followed a contributory approach, but there is a need for greater attention on the active involvement of participants to improve application outcomes and local socio-ecological conditions.