Scoping review of the first 25-years of Human Dimensions of Wildlife

The first volume of Human Dimensions of Wildlife (HDW) was published in 1996 with the goal to promote social research approaches and standards in fisheries and wildlife management. To describe and reflect on the empirical content of HDW, we conducted a formal scoping review of the journal’s first 25 volumes (1996-2020). Findings highlighted expected and unanticipated trends. First, most articles focused on wildlife-related issues in the U.S., and most authors were affiliated with U.S. institutions, but, since 2011, representation from Europe and Africa has increased. Second, game management species dominated HDW’s focus, though conservation and nongame topics have consistently increased over time. Third, a range of core theories and concepts were represented. Fourth, cross-sectional, quantitative, and survey research approaches represent the methodological core, but qualitative and mixed method strategies have increased. Overall, HDW has been successful in achieving the foundational goal.