Involving caregivers in behavioural research: A SWOT analysis of two citizen science research methodologies to study cat-cat interactions at home

Abstract

Citizen science, which involves engaging the general public in research tasks, is increasingly used in animal behaviour studies. In this review we conducted a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) to evaluate two methodologies of data collection using citizen science in order to study cat-cat interactions: online survey responses and caregiver-recorded home videos analysed by researcher(s). Using the SWOT-analysis on both methodologies, we listed intrinsic aspects that facilitate (Strengths) or interfere with (Weaknesses) reaching scientific goals, as well as the features that the methodology may be able to capitalise on (Opportunities) or which limit its value (Threats). A major strength of online surveys is the possibility to access caregivers’ specific knowledge of their cats, while sampling bias often is a potential weakness. Opportunities of surveys are the methodology´s flexibility and data collection efficiency, but at the same time suffering from threats related to biases associated with caregiver interpretation of their pet’s behaviour. Strengths of caregiver-recorded videos capturing cats’ behaviour include that they allow expert behavioural observations and scoring in a systematic manner (e.g. using an ethogram) and thus yielding quantitative data (whose reliability can be tested between and within observers). Furthermore, given the ubiquity of smartphones, filming cats is not a burden for most caregivers, and the collected recordings can potentially contain high-quality data that may otherwise be inaccessible, or subject to bias if a researcher had been present in the home environment. Though, caregivers’ influence on and lack of standardisation of the recordings are weaknesses which possibly influence the quality of the collected data. Opportunities include public engagement with science, while possible Threats may be related to privacy of the caregivers participating. In this review we consider in more detail each of the four SWOT components related to each methodology in order to optimise cat behaviour research in the future. The authors suggest strategies for future studies using the research methodologies discussed in this review and give specific recommendations when using caregiver-recorded videos in behavioural studies. Additionally, smart combinations of both online surveys with home videos recorded by caregivers might overcome some limitations of the individual methodologies, and would thus be a potentially stronger approach.