In the concluding chapter of the book “Citizen science”, Bonn and colleagues argue that citizen science can lead to advances in science, policy, and society. ACTION partners T6 Ecosystems and DRIFT are building on these insights to investigate the ways in which citizen science can have a transformative impact in these areas.
For example: can citizen science expand our understanding of what knowledge is, from something that is created within a university, to something that is co-created by society? Local communities often have expertise that scientists don’t, and know what policy changes would benefit them most. This can lead to a different focus of the project and richer scientific data. By involving local communities in citizen science projects, we draw on their vital knowledge of the local context, and help to make sure that the findings are then embedded in that community. Taking other sources of knowledge seriously hopefully facilitates a more open and inclusive science system.
Download Hecker et al.’s book on Citizen Science here: https://www.uclpress.co.uk/products/107613