Motivations and expectations driving community participation in entomological research projects: Target Malaria as a case study in Bana, Western Burkina Faso

Abstract

Background Most field entomology research projects require active participation by local community members. Since 2012, Target Malaria, a not-for-profit research consortium, has been working with residents in the village of Bana, in Western Burkina Faso, in various studies involving mosquito collections, releases and recaptures. The long-term goal of this work is to develop innovative solutions to combat malaria in Africa with the help of mosquito modification technologies. Since the start of the project, members of local communities have played an important role in research activities, yet the motivations and expectations that drive their participation remain under-investigated. This study aims to examine the factors that motivate some members of the local community to contribute to the implementation of Target Malaria’s activities in the village of Bana, and, more broadly, to explore the motivations animating citizen participation in entomological research work. Methods A qualitative approach was used to examine the factors motivating the local community to assist in the implementation of Target Malaria’s entomological research activities in Bana. 85 individual in-depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted, followed by three focus groups, one with youths who had participated in mosquito collections, and two with adult men and women from the village. All data collected were fully transcribed, processed, and submitted for thematic content analysis. Results Data showed that the willingness of local community members to participate in entomological research activities was informed by a wide range of motivational factors. Although interviewees expressed their motivations under different semantic registers, the data showed a degree of consistency around five categories of motivation: (a) enhance protection from mosquitoes and malaria, (b) contribute to a future world free of the disease, (c) acquire knowledge and skills, (d) earn financial compensation, and (e) gain social prestige for the village. Conclusion These varying motivations reflected fundamentally different personal and collective perceptions about the participation process. Beyond the specific circumstances of this case, our study highlights the importance of understanding the varied, context-specific reasons driving collective participation in entomological research and vector control activities.