Citizen Science
Through what is known as citizen science, researchers and members of the public can work together to produce new knowledge. Citizen scientists can contribute to research in different ways, for example by collecting, classifying, or analysing data in a research study. The key point is that citizen scientists participate as researchers, not as research subjects. Citizen scientists are not required to have formal research training.
People outside the academic community have long participated in research, but in recent decades their involvement has become more limited. This has been due to factors such as the professionalisation of research, more complex research questions, and the need for advanced equipment. Digital information and communication technologies have now increased opportunities for people outside the academic community to access research and participate in it. This can strengthen understanding of scientific practices and help counter the effects of disinformation.
Citizen science is a broad term with a variety of definitions. The European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) has published ten principles for citizen science. These constitute key principles that the organisation sees as the basis for good practice in citizen science. The principles are based on respect for and recognition of the participating citizen scientists’ contributions to research and on acceptance of citizen science as a research method in its own right. Citizen science is also linked to principles of transparency, inclusion, and openness. It is important to note that citizen science requires clear frameworks for ethics, data quality, allocation of responsibilities, and feedback to participants. It is not a form of research that is suitable for all research questions or methods.
The many different forms of citizen science can be divided into four broad categories, following a typology by M. Haklay (2013):
- Crowdsourcing. Participants primarily contribute resources or data from observations or from carrying sensors. Their own knowledge and analytical ability are used only to a very limited extent.
- Distributed intelligence. The cognitive ability of the participants is used when, after basic training, they collect data or make simple interpretations within a research project.
- Participatory science. Participants define the problem and collect data in consultation with researchers and experts, while analysis and interpretation usually require support from trained researchers.
- Extreme citizen science. Participants can be involved in the entire process, from problem definition and data collection to analysis, publication, and use of the results.
The Citizenscience.eu portal provides a list of citizen science projects in the EU, as well as information and resources for those who want to run such projects. There is also a Swedish portal for those who want to learn more about citizen science: medborgarforskning.se. There, you can find examples of Swedish projects.