Scholarlink

<p>Interdisciplinary research (IDR) and active participant engagement are increasingly recognized as essential for addressing the complex socio-ecological challenges of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Our study, which involved a systematic literature review and statistical data analysis of 148 scientific articles, identified an inter-relationship between interdisciplinarity, the use of participatory methods, and researchers’ academic backgrounds. The results indicate a predominance of researchers from natural sciences, particularly biology at the undergraduate level, and a notable transition toward interdisciplinary fields at the PhD level. Among participatory methods, interviews were the most frequently used (53%), while participatory approaches such as workshops, focus groups and citizen science remained underrepresented. The findings suggest that while disciplinary specialization persists, there is a tendency towards interdisciplinarity on MPA research. However, limited engagement with participatory methodologies highlights potential barriers to integrating diverse knowledge systems into conservation planning. Future research should explore the motivations driving researchers’ methodological choices and assess the composition of research teams in terms of interdisciplinarity. Strengthening cross-disciplinary collaboration and integrating a broader range of research methods, including participatory approaches, will be key to enhancing governance frameworks and ensuring more effective and inclusive MPA management.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Inter-relationship of researchers’ academic backgrounds and participatory research methods in marine protected areas: evidence of an interdisciplinary turn

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月10日

查看全文
  • Paulo Wanderley de Melo,
  • Vandick da Silva Batista

摘要

Interdisciplinary research (IDR) and active participant engagement are increasingly recognized as essential for addressing the complex socio-ecological challenges of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Our study, which involved a systematic literature review and statistical data analysis of 148 scientific articles, identified an inter-relationship between interdisciplinarity, the use of participatory methods, and researchers’ academic backgrounds. The results indicate a predominance of researchers from natural sciences, particularly biology at the undergraduate level, and a notable transition toward interdisciplinary fields at the PhD level. Among participatory methods, interviews were the most frequently used (53%), while participatory approaches such as workshops, focus groups and citizen science remained underrepresented. The findings suggest that while disciplinary specialization persists, there is a tendency towards interdisciplinarity on MPA research. However, limited engagement with participatory methodologies highlights potential barriers to integrating diverse knowledge systems into conservation planning. Future research should explore the motivations driving researchers’ methodological choices and assess the composition of research teams in terms of interdisciplinarity. Strengthening cross-disciplinary collaboration and integrating a broader range of research methods, including participatory approaches, will be key to enhancing governance frameworks and ensuring more effective and inclusive MPA management.