Are you familiar with citizen science?

Citizen science is becoming a more familiar concept and method of knowledge production as the societal impact of research is emphasized. But for many, citizen science is still a new concept. The fact that other terms such as participatory research or co-research are also used in parallel, can cause some confusion. Nor is it always understood that, for example, spotting migratory birds in one's own backyard or sharing information on the identification of places found in old photographs, represents citizen science actions. The term is, indeed, recognized as being challenging to define. One might also question whether it is even necessary to define it in a single way. More relevant are the activities that citizens undertake and that are appropriate in each research context (Haklay M et al. 2021).

Citizen science refers to research carried out by "ordinary people", i.e. people who are not trained researchers. Usually, the research is led by a trained researcher. So, how familiar is citizen science to citizens, researchers, and other actors in research organisations? What kind of things are associated with citizen science and how easy is it to get involved in projects?  

These are some of the questions that the recent Citizen Science Survey 2024, carried out by The National Open Science and Research Coordination network’s Citizen Science Support and Services Working Group, sought to answer. There were 174 respondents to the survey. Of the respondents, 56 per cent were citizens or private persons, 29 per cent were researchers and 15 per cent were representatives of research or funding organizations. A similar survey was already carried out in 2021, so it is also possible to look at how views have evolved over time. Here are some extracts from the preliminary survey results.

What is important in citizen science?  

Just over 70 per cent of respondents are familiar with the concept of citizen science in one way or another. This relatively high percentage is about the same as four years ago. However, this figure suggests that the survey may attract respondents who already have some previous contact with the subject.  

The three most important things associated with citizen science are:  

• Interaction between the scientific community and citizens (76% of respondents)
• Openness (50%)
• Ease of participation (40%)  

Interestingly, the interaction between the scientific community and citizens is considered the most important thing by both the researchers and representatives of the research organisation (85%), and the citizens (70%). This could indicate that citizens also value citizen science precisely as an interaction and social dialogue between different sectors of society, not just as individual projects or activities in which to participate. Popularization of science comes close to ease of participation for both groups of respondents. Ease of participation, on the other hand, is seen as more important by citizens (47%) than by the representatives of researchers and research organisations (32%), which is certainly understandable as a difference in perspective.

Ease of participation  

Ease of participation matters. Nearly half of the citizens surveyed rank it among the top three things related to citizen science. The most common way to participate in research is by using mobile applications to store data as research data. Almost 40 per cent of all respondents say they have done this. This is up by as much as 17 per cent from three years ago. Perhaps this reflects not only the ease and accessibility of participation for many, but also the increasing usability of apps and mobile devices. Around a quarter of respondents have also entered data into data-collecting websites.

Despite the emphasis on ease of participation, more than a quarter of respondents report that they have not participated because they do not know how to do so. A third of respondents also think that participating in a citizen science project requires special skills. So, there is still work to be done, both to familiarize people with the concept of citizen science and to raise awareness of the opportunities for participation.  

Are you a citizen scientist? A beginner's guide coming in English

To lower the threshold for participation, a new guide to participation has just been published in Finnish. Are you a citizen scientist? A beginner's guide has been developed by The National Open Science and Research Coordination network’s Citizen Science Support and Services Working group. The concise online guide is available in Finnish on Zenodo and the Open Learning Resources Library. English and Swedish versions, as well as the printed versions, will also be available later this autumn. The guide provides information not only for citizens but also for others who want to learn about the citizen's perspective on citizen science. The guide can also be distributed to those who need it, including research stakeholders.  

The Tampere University Library’s Guide on Citizen Science is available also in English.

References:

The National Open Science and Research Coordination network’s Citizen Science Support and Services Working Group. Survey for Citizen Science 2024. Results. Unpublished source.

The National Open Science and Research Coordination network’s Citizen Science Support and Services Working Group. Survey for Citizen Science 2021. Results. Unpublished source.

Haklay, M. et al. (2021). What Is Citizen Science? The Challenges of Definition. In: Vohland, K., et al. The Science of Citizen Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58278-4_2  

Authors: Paula Nissilä & Taina Peltonen