Periyar has a well-equipped Research and Monitoring cell. The reserve has over the years drawn the interest of many scientists and research fellows from the country and abroad. Basic research on flora and fauna were carried out by the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi. Studies on the flora of the tiger reserve was completed by 1998. Inventory of the park fauna was prepared during the last decade mainly by the Research Officer, Project Tiger. Studies on visitor management were carried out by Equations, Bangalore. Some socio-economic studies have been undertaken by School of Social Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University. The tiger reserve has a permanent research and monitoring team. Research Range Officer together with his staff conducts monitoring activities. Tiger Monitoring is an important programme of this team.

The newly launched India Eco Development Project has a special component for research and impact monitoring in the reserve. The research works are mainly carried out at three levels- institutional level, Local level and Park level. A team of park staff including Ecologist, Sociologist, Economist and Research Officer conducts Ecological and Socio- economic researches and impact monitoring activities. Ecological and socio-economic impact monitoring of fringe area people, ecological impact monitoring of pilgrimage, monitoring of habitat improvement practices in the reserve are among the regular monitoring activities. Besides these monitoring of endangered species of flora and fauna are also undertaken.