Research Guides: Open Science and Citizen Science: CITIZEN SCIENCE

Open Science and Citizen Science

Open Science and Citizen Science - a symbiotic relationship? A juxtaposition of core concepts

Vohland, K., & Göbel, C. (2017). Open Science und Citizen Science als symbiotische Beziehung? Eine Gegenüberstellung von Konzepten. TATuP - Zeitschrift für Technikfolgenabschätzung in Theorie und Praxis / Journal for Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice, 26(1-2), 18-24. https://doi.org/10.14512/tatup.26.1-2.18

This article analyzes core attributes of the concepts of Open Science and Citizen Science in European science policy and relates them to one another. Both concepts postulate and advocate a future opening of science – with Open Science policy focusing on the research process and the conceptualization of Citizen Science placing more emphasis on the actors and their interactions. Both approaches claim transparency with regard to both the research process itself and its results. There are synergies in terms of the involvement of citizens and the accessibility of research results and processes. And there are risks when Citizen Science is merely instrumentalized without allowing for effective participation by citizens.

All you need to know about Citizen Science

Open Citizen Science
Must-have reading list

Citizen Science: Elevating research an innovation through societal engagement
Citizen science can be described as the voluntary participation of non-professional scientists in research and innovation at different stages of the process and at different levels of engagement, from shaping research agendas and policies, to gathering, processing and analysing data, and assessing the outcomes of research. Active engagement with citizens and society has the potential to improve research and its outcomes and reinforce societal trust in science. It can increase - relevance and effectiveness by ensuring that R&I aligns with needs, expectations and values of society - creativity and quality by enlarging the collective capabilities, the scope of research and the quantity and quality of data - transparency, science literacy and confidence of the public in research
Ten Principles of Citizen Science of ECSA (The European Citizen Science Association)
Citizen science is a flexible concept which can be adapted and applied within diverse situations and disciplines. The statements below were developed by the ‘Sharing best practice and building capacity’ working group of the European Citizen Science Association, led by the Natural History Museum London with input from many members of the Association, to set out some of the key principles which as a community we believe underlie good practice in citizen science.

[BOOK] The Science of Citizen Science by Katrin Vohland (Editor); Anne Land (Editor); Luigi Ceccaroni (Editor); Josep Perelló (Editor); Marisa Ponti (Editor); Roeland Samson (Editor); Katherin Wagenknecht (Editor); Rob Lemmens (Editor)
Call Number: Full-text
ISBN: 9783030582777
Publication Date: 2021-01-12
This open access book discusses how the involvement of citizens into scientific endeavors is expected to contribute to solve the big challenges of our time, such as climate change and the loss of biodiversity, growing inequalities within and between societies, and the sustainability turn. The field of citizen science has been growing in recent decades. Many different stakeholders from scientists to citizens and from policy makers to environmental organisations have been involved in its practice. In addition, many scientists also study citizen science as a research approach and as a way for science and society to interact and collaborate. This book provides a representation of the practices as well as scientific and societal outcomes in different disciplines. It reflects the contribution of citizen science to societal development, education, or innovation and provides and overview of the field of actors as well as on tools and guidelines. It serves as an introduction for anyone who wants to get involved in and learn more about the science of citizen science.

Declaration of the conference Knowledge for Change: A Decade of Citizen Science (2020-2030)
The conference presented, evaluated and discussed the exciting contributions that Citizen Science makes in framing and achieving sustainable development, specifically the UN SDGs. The conference brought together expertise from policy makers, institutional and citizen scientists, economists, NGOs and civil society to implement mechanisms and processes for the transition towards a more sustainable future.
A Declaration including policy recommendations resulted from the conference: "Our world – our goals: citizen science for the Sustainable Development Goals". The Declaration acts as a voluntary commitment by all partners to define the roles, competences and concrete potentials of Citizen Science to advance the SDGs. It was formulated in an open and participatory process.

Geographic Citizen Science Design: No one left behind by Artemis Skarlatidou and Muki Haklay, eds.
Call Number: Full-text
ISBN: 9781787356122
Publication Date: 2021
Little did Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and other ‘gentlemen scientists’ know, when they were making their scientific discoveries, that some centuries later they would inspire a new field of scientific practice and innovation, called citizen science. The current growth and availability of citizen science projects and relevant applications to support citizen involvement is massive; every citizen has an opportunity to become a scientist and contribute to a scientific discipline, without having any professional qualifications. With geographic interfaces being the common approach to support collection, analysis and dissemination of data contributed by participants, ‘geographic citizen science’ is being approached from different angles.
Geographic Citizen Science Design takes an anthropological and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) stance to provide the theoretical and methodological foundations to support the design, development and evaluation of citizen science projects and their user-friendly applications. Through a careful selection of case studies in the urban and non-urban contexts of the Global North and South, the chapters provide insights into the design and interaction barriers, as well as on the lessons learned from the engagement of a diverse set of participants; for example, literate and non-literate people with a range of technical skills, and with different cultural backgrounds.
Looking at the field through the lenses of specific case studies, the book captures the current state of the art in research and development of geographic citizen science and provides critical insight to inform technological innovation and future research in this area.
[BOOK] Citizen Science: Innovation in Open Science, Society and Policy by Susanne Hecker, Muki Haklay, Anne Bowser, Zen Makuch, Johannes Vogel, and Aletta Bonn, eds.
Call Number: Full-text
ISBN: 9781787352339
Publication Date: 2018
Citizen science, the active participation of the public in scientific research projects, is a rapidly expanding field in open science and open innovation. It provides an integrated model of public knowledge production and engagement with science. As a growing worldwide phenomenon, it is invigorated by evolving new technologies that connect people easily and effectively with the scientific community. Catalysed by citizens’ wishes to be actively involved in scientific processes, as a result of recent societal trends, it also offers contributions to the rise in tertiary education. In addition, citizen science provides a valuable tool for citizens to play a more active role in sustainable development.
This book identifies and explains the role of citizen science within innovation in science and society, and as a vibrant and productive science-policy interface. The scope of this volume is global, geared towards identifying solutions and lessons to be applied across science, practice and policy. The chapters consider the role of citizen science in the context of the wider agenda of open science and open innovation, and discuss progress towards responsible research and innovation, two of the most critical aspects of science today.

Europe

[REPORT] Science with and for society in Horizon 2020: Achievements and recommendations for Horizon Europe
Inclusiveness on all levels underpins SwafS. We need science education for all, gender equality in our organisations, ethics and integrity embedded in research, communication we can trust, open science and ultimately place citizens at the core to ensure excellent Research and Innovation to tackle the challenges of today for a better future. Europe can only thrive by matching the immense potential of science with the values, needs, and aspirations of society. Horizon Europe must strengthen efforts to tap into the vast potential citizens have to offer and ensure effective cooperation between science and society. This document reports on the Horizon 2020 Science with and for Society (SwafS) project portfolio results.
[REPORT] Best Practices in Citizen Science for Environmental Monitoring
The volume of environmental knowledge generated by citizen science initiatives across the EU offers a unique opportunity to help deliver on the European Green Deal and other EU (and global) priorities, and to involve the public in EU policy-making. This document summarises the opportunities for and benefits of using citizen science for environmental monitoring, highlights good practices and lessons learnt, and identifies the obstacles holding back its broader uptake. On that basis, it puts forward recommendations and possible actions to facilitate and enhance the use of citizen science in environmental monitoring. Citizen science can be defined as the non-professional involvement of volunteers in the scientific process, commonly in data collection, but also in other phases, such as quality assurance, data analysis and interpretation, problem definition and the dissemination of results. This document does not cover their participation in opinion polls or personal data on participants and their views. Citizen science is a powerful tool for public engagement and empowerment in policy-making and for raising awareness of environmental issues and policies. By promoting people’s involvement in EU policies, the recommendations in this document contribute directly to the European Commission’s policies on open, transparent and participatory decision-making, such as ‘a new push for European democracy’ (one of its six headline ambitions 1 ), better regulation 2 , e-government digital single market), and the EU’s implementation of the Aarhus Convention 3and open data 4(the 5 .

[BOOK] Assessment of Responsible Innovation by Emad Yaghmaei (Editor); Ibo van de Poel (Editor)
Call Number: Full-text
ISBN: 9780429298998
Publication Date: 2020-11-11
Responsible Innovation encourages innovators to work together with stakeholders during the research and innovation process, to better align the outcomes of innovation with the values, needs and expectations of society. Assessing the benefits and costs of Responsible Innovation is crucial for furthering the responsible conduct of science, technology and innovation. However, there is until now only limited academic work on Responsible Innovation assessment. This book fills this lacuna. Assessment of Responsible Innovation: Methods and Practices presents tools for measuring, monitoring, and reporting upon the Responsible Innovation process and the social, environmental, scientific, and economic impacts of innovations. These tools help innovators to mitigate risk and to strengthen their strategic planning. This book aligns assessment tools and practices with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The prospects as well as the limitations of various Responsible Innovation assessment approaches and tools are discussed, as well as their applicability in various industry contexts. The book brings together leading scholars in the field to present the most comprehensive review of Responsible Innovation tools. It articulates the importance of assessment and value creation, the different metrics and monitoring systems that can be deployed and the reporting mechanisms, including the importance of effective communication.