Exploring scientists’ perceptions of citizen science for public engagement with science
Stephanie A. Collins, Miriam Sullivan, Heather Bray
Abstract
It is often assumed that citizen science is inherently participatory in nature. However, citizen science projects exist along a continuum from data contribution to full co-creation. We invited 19 biologists to explore their conceptions of citizen science. Almost all participants defined citizen science as involving non-scientists in data collection. This definition acted as a barrier for scientists who did not see how citizen science could suit their research objectives. While interviewees perceived many societal and experiential benefits of contributory citizen science, deliberate design is needed to realise the full potential of citizen science for public engagement.
Topics & Concepts
Citizen sciencePublic engagementCitizen journalismPerceptionScience educationScience communicationPublic awareness of scienceExperiential learningPublic relationsPublic participationPolitical scienceSociologyEngineering ethicsPsychologyPedagogyEngineeringBiologyBotanyNeuroscienceLawSpecies Distribution and Climate ChangeAnimal and Plant Science EducationInsect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior