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Short Abstract

A scoping review exploring how gamification supports citizen science by sustaining engagement and promoting behaviour change. It maps game elements, impact measures, and insights for scaling citizen science across diverse contexts.

Abstract

Citizen Science (CS) projects employ gamification, or the use of game design elements in non-game contexts, as a means to improve engagement and sustain participation with the project. While gamification is often employed to improve data collection, CS initiatives also aim to promote behaviour change and foster long-term engagement, both of which can be crucial for scaling efforts across different contexts. Evidence from fields such as education and digital health suggests gamification can influence positive behaviours, yet its potential in CS remains underexplored.

This scoping review maps out the evidence available in the field of gamified citizen science, identifies the game elements employed, and examines how their impact, particularly on behaviour change, has been assessed. Following the JBI guidelines, it targets qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method studies published in Scopus, Web of Science, PsychINFO, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, JSTOR and Medline databases, including all English language studies focused on examining a game-based approach to citizen science.

The review will synthesise emerging patterns in gamification strategies, how they have been used in efforts to upscale and sustain projects, and highlight how success has been measured; it also assesses their reported influence on volunteer engagement and its impact on behaviour. By clarifying the role of gamification as a strategy, this work contributes to discussions on sustaining and upscaling citizen science across regions and domains.