Dataset Information

Increasing biodiversity knowledge through social media: A case study from tropical Bangladesh.

ABSTRACT: Citizen science programs are becoming increasingly popular among naturalists but remain heavily biased taxonomically and geographically. However, with the explosive popularity of social media and the near-ubiquitous availability of smartphones, many post wildlife photographs on social media. Here, we illustrate the potential of harvesting these data to enhance our biodiversity understanding using Bangladesh, a tropical biodiverse country, as a case study. We compared biodiversity records extracted from Facebook with those from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), collating geospatial records for 1013 unique species, including 970 species from Facebook and 712 species from GBIF. Although most observation records were biased toward major cities, the Facebook records were more evenly spatially distributed. About 86% of the Threatened species records were from Facebook, whereas the GBIF records were almost entirely Of Least Concern species. To reduce the global biodiversity data shortfall, a key research priority now is the development of mechanisms for extracting and interpreting social media biodiversity data.

SUBMITTER: Chowdhury S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10308356 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Increasing biodiversity knowledge through social media: A case study from tropical Bangladesh.

Chowdhury Shawan S Aich Upama U Rokonuzzaman Md M Alam Shofiul S Das Priyanka P Siddika Asma A Ahmed Sultan S Labi Mahzabin Muzahid MM Marco Moreno Di MD Fuller Richard A RA Callaghan Corey T CT

Bioscience 20230608 6

Citizen science programs are becoming increasingly popular among naturalists but remain heavily biased taxonomically and geographically. However, with the explosive popularity of social media and the near-ubiquitous availability of smartphones, many post wildlife photographs on social media. Here, we illustrate the potential of harvesting these data to enhance our biodiversity understanding using Bangladesh, a tropical biodiverse country, as a case study. We compared biodiversity records extract ...[more]

PMID: 37397834

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Project description:BackgroundDespite extensive literature describing the use of social media in health research, a gap exists around best practices in establishing, implementing, and evaluating an effective social media knowledge translation (KT) and exchange strategies.ObjectiveThis study aims to examine successes, challenges, and lessons learned from using social media within health research and to create practical considerations to guide other researchers.MethodsThe Knowledge Translation Platform of the Alberta Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research SUPPORT Unit formed a national working group involving platform staff, academics, and a parent representative with experience using social media for health research. We collected and analyzed 4 case studies that used a variety of social media platforms and evaluation methods. The case studies covered a spectrum of initiatives from participant recruitment and data collection to dissemination, engagement, and evaluation. Methods and findings from each case study as well as barriers and facilitators encountered were summarized. Through iterative discussions, we converged on recommendations and considerations for health researchers planning to use social media for KT.ResultsWe provide recommendations for elements to consider when developing a social media KT strategy: (1) set a clear goal and identify a theory, framework, or model that aligns with the project goals and objectives; (2) understand the intended audience (use social network mapping to learn what platforms and social influences are available); (3) choose a platform or platforms that meet the needs of the intended audience and align well with the research team's capabilities (can you tap into an existing network, and what mode of communication does it support?); (4) tailor messages to meet user needs and platform requirements (eg, plain language and word restrictions); (5) consider timing, frequency, and duration of messaging as well as the nature of interactions (ie, social filtering and negotiated awareness); (6) ensure adequate resources and personnel are available (eg, content creators, project coordinators, communications experts, and audience stakeholder or patient advocate); (7) develop an evaluation plan a priori driven by goals and types of data available (ie, quantitative and qualitative); and (8) consider ethical approvals needed (driven by evaluation and type of data collection).ConclusionsIn the absence of a comprehensive framework to guide health researchers using social media for KT, we provide several key considerations. Future research will help validate the proposed components and create a body of evidence around best practices for using and evaluating social media as part of a KT strategy.

Project description:ObjectivesTuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that causes thousands of deaths in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of the 30 high TB burden countries. In this study, we aimed to assess the knowledge, practices, and attitude toward TB, and to determine the factors associated with them among people who have internet access in Bangladesh. Design, Setting, and Participant: A web-based anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted from May 20 to August 10, 2021, among people (age> = 18 years) who have internet access in Bangladesh. A comprehensive consent statement was included at the beginning of the survey and informed consent was taken.Outcome measuresThis study's outcomes of interest were respondents' adequate knowledge, good practices, and positive attitudes toward TB and were coded binarily. The association between respondents' socio-demographic factors and knowledge, attitude, and practices toward TB was inspected using the Chi-square test and Multivariable logistic regression model.ResultsAmong 1,180 respondents, 58.64% were males, and 62.37% were married. The majority of the participants (78.28%) were aged between 18 to 44 years. Overall adequate knowledge, favorable attitudes, and good practices about TB were found respectively in 47.8%, 44.75%, and 31.19% of the people with internet access in Bangladesh. Almost the same sets of associated factors were found to influence adequate knowledge, favorable attitudes, and good practices toward TB among social media users in Bangladesh. Males, young, unmarried, social media users with higher education, and urban social media users were more likely to have adequate knowledge, favorable attitudes, and good practices toward TB.ConclusionPolicymakers need to design programs and interventions to improve knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward TB in Bangladesh with a particular focus on females, young and older people, people who live in rural areas, and illiterate/less educated people. Social media can be a powerful medium for disseminating scientific facts on TB and other diseases.

Project description:Human activities significantly influence the changes in wildlife habitats and biodiversity, highlighting the necessity to enhance public knowledge, perceptions, and practices (KPP) to mitigate their consequences. Previous research suggests that many people in Bangladesh do not consider wildlife and biodiversity conservation a crucial issue. However, enhancing their KPP could be essential in developing effective and sustainable conservation efforts in Bangladesh. So, the current study aimed to evaluate the public's KPP of wildlife conservation and biodiversity management in Bangladesh. A total of 3060 individuals' data were collected from various sociodemographic backgrounds using a structured questionnaire followed by statistical analyses including Pearson's chi-square, Spearman's correlation, and logistic regression analysis, which were performed to assess the correlations and trends among variables using STATA and SPSS. The results revealed a significant heterogeneity in KPP across different sociodemographic groups. Importantly, the younger respondents (ages 21-30) indicated a high level of KPP, and respondents without formal education and belonging to older ages demonstrated markedly low levels of KPP. In the country's divisional levels, respondents from Khulna and Rangpur revealed the highest and lowest KPP levels, respectively. Our study also revealed that students represented the major occupational demographic and displayed moderate levels of KPP. Notably, respondents highlighted the decline or absence of several wild animal species, including black bears, deer, vultures, wild cats, hanuman monkeys, and rhesus monkeys, from their local areas over the past decades. Public opinion on wildlife protection revealed 78.6% and 73.4% disapproving of hunting rejection and wildlife trading, respectively. Nonetheless, a lack of knowledge remained, as 16.89% of respondents were unaware of measures to alleviate human-wildlife conflict. The correlation analysis indicated a favorable association among KPP components, especially between knowledge and perception (correlation coefficient = 0.438), underscoring the essential influence of awareness on conservation actions. This study offers critical insights for developing interventions to enhance KPP among local communities and stakeholders, hence promoting sustainable wildlife conservation and biodiversity management in Bangladesh. Taken together, the findings provide baseline data for safeguarding biodiversity and fostering long-term wildlife sustainability in Bangladesh.

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Increasing biodiversity knowledge through social media: A case study from tropical Bangladesh.

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Increasing biodiversity knowledge through social media: A case study from tropical Bangladesh.

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