000162199 001__ 162199
000162199 005__ 20251017144604.0
000162199 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.1371/journal.pone.0325593
000162199 0248_ $$2sideral$$a144751
000162199 037__ $$aART-2025-144751
000162199 041__ $$aeng
000162199 100__ $$aPelacho, Maite
000162199 245__ $$aScience as a commons: Motivations for continued participation in citizen science projects
000162199 260__ $$c2025
000162199 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted
000162199 5203_ $$aThe study of the commons is a growing field of research that is highly relevant to fostering the sustainability of shared resources, including knowledge resources. Citizen science has great potential to constitute science as a knowledge commons, in which continued participation is essential for the long-term viability of inherently collaborative projects and the strengthening of communities. However, different motivations for participation can significantly influence continued engagement, and, consequently, the sustainability of these projects. This research explores, first, participants’ motivations for joining and continuing projects, as well as the reasons for abandoning them. Secondly, we analyse the influence of various motivations on continuity, with a particular focus on highly committed participants—an aspect hitherto scarcely investigated. Specifically, we examine whether these participants’ motivations are primarily associated with general interests (e.g., resource sustainability) alongside personal interests (e.g., capability building). This approach aligns with the key finding of commons theory, which challenges the idea that rational behaviour implies only self-interest. The analyses of 478 responses to the survey designed for this study reveal that participants who sustain CS projects through continued participation are driven by a combination of personal and general interests. These findings reflect cooperative behaviours characteristic of individuals who create or maintain commons. Therefore, we propose that science can be understood as a commons that can be collaboratively and sustainably managed by multiple, decentralized communities. Consequently, fostering cooperation is essential for the effective management of shared resources, particularly in citizen science projects. Enhancing our understanding of cooperation enables the better and more effective implementation of specific recommendations, such as optimizing communication among all those involved in citizen science projects and fostering awareness of common goals and collective achievements. In turn, this reinforces personal benefits, creating a virtuous circle that further strengthens cooperation and its benefits.
000162199 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby$$uhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es
000162199 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
000162199 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0001-6492-2248$$aOrejudo, Santos$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza
000162199 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0003-4721-7381$$aClemente-Gallardo, Jesús$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza
000162199 7102_ $$14009$$2735$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Psicología y Sociología$$cÁrea Psicolog.Evolut.Educac
000162199 7102_ $$12004$$2405$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Física Teórica$$cÁrea Física Teórica
000162199 773__ $$g20, 6 (2025), e0325593 [24 pp.]$$pPLoS One$$tPLoS ONE$$x1932-6203
000162199 8564_ $$s1378219$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/162199/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yVersión publicada
000162199 8564_ $$s2471116$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/162199/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yVersión publicada
000162199 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:162199$$particulos$$pdriver
000162199 951__ $$a2025-10-17-14:14:51
000162199 980__ $$aARTICLE