Criteria for Citizen Science – A source of community empowerment or a barrier?

TY - GEN

T1 - Criteria for Citizen Science – A source of community empowerment or a barrier?

AU - Kragh, Gitte

AU - Gijsel, Liesbeth

AU - Luís, Cristina

AU - Sforzi, Andrea

AU - Duerinckx, Annelies

AU - Heigl, Florian

AU - Tiago, Patricia

AU - Goldin, Jacqueline

AU - Cavalier, Darlene

AU - Dörler, Daniel

PY - 2024/9/30

Y1 - 2024/9/30

N2 - Citizen science (CS) initiatives are diverse, leading to a complex landscape of approaches and terminology. To address this complexity and foster a shared understanding, criteria were co-created with CS researchers, practitioners and citizen scientists to guide project inclusion on online CS platforms. At the ECSA2024 conference workshop, participants discussed the utility of these criteria, sharing experiences and reflections. The workshop employed a fishbowl exercise followed by a world café setup to delve into key topics such as project evaluation and progression, criteria and terminology application, and potential barriers to inclusion. Participants expressed caution regarding mandatory criteria, emphasizing the need for flexibility, particularly in the social sciences and humanities. While some criteria may enhance project communication and funding prospects, concerns were raised about the Eurocentric nature and global applicability of the criteria. Despite limited familiarity and implementation of existing criteria, there is a growing understanding of their potential importance and usefulness within the CS community. Challenges remain regarding implementation processes and project exclusion concerns, but positive examples showcase the potential benefits of embracing criteria in CS networks and platforms.

AB - Citizen science (CS) initiatives are diverse, leading to a complex landscape of approaches and terminology. To address this complexity and foster a shared understanding, criteria were co-created with CS researchers, practitioners and citizen scientists to guide project inclusion on online CS platforms. At the ECSA2024 conference workshop, participants discussed the utility of these criteria, sharing experiences and reflections. The workshop employed a fishbowl exercise followed by a world café setup to delve into key topics such as project evaluation and progression, criteria and terminology application, and potential barriers to inclusion. Participants expressed caution regarding mandatory criteria, emphasizing the need for flexibility, particularly in the social sciences and humanities. While some criteria may enhance project communication and funding prospects, concerns were raised about the Eurocentric nature and global applicability of the criteria. Despite limited familiarity and implementation of existing criteria, there is a growing understanding of their potential importance and usefulness within the CS community. Challenges remain regarding implementation processes and project exclusion concerns, but positive examples showcase the potential benefits of embracing criteria in CS networks and platforms.

KW - Citizen science

KW - Science and Society

KW - Public participation in scientific research

KW - Evaluation

M3 - Article in proceedings

T3 - ARPHA Proceedings

SP - 7

EP - 11

BT - Change – The transformative power of citizen science

PB - Pensoft Publishers

T2 - European Citizen Science Association 2024 Conference: Change

Y2 - 3 April 2024 through 6 April 2024

ER -