Can Citizen Science Seriously Contribute to Policy Development?

Abstract

This chapter considers the potential for citizen science to contribute to policy development. A background to evidence-based policy making is given, and the requirement for data to be robust, reliable and, increasingly, cost-effective is noted. The potential for the use of ‘co-design' strategies with stakeholders, to add value to their engagement as well as provide more meaningful data that can contribute to policy development, is presented and discussed. Barriers to uptake can be institutional and the quality of data used in evidence-based policy making will always need to be fully assured. Data must be appropriate to the decision making process at hand and there is potential for citizen science to fill important, existing data-gaps.

How Does Policy Conceptualise Citizen Science? A Qualitative Content Analysis of International Policy Documents

“…Therefore, CS needs to gain the acceptance and the recognition of the scientific community as well as of "potential end-users of volunteer-gathered data" [15:11]. In addition, Chapman and Hodges (2017) emphasise that CS data need to be suitable not only for policy decisionmaking, but also available, fit-for-purpose, robust, and timely to be uptaken by policy.…”

Innovation in Citizen Science – Perspectives on Science-Policy Advances

“…Especially within the context of innovation and policy use, citizen science must pay attention to scientific standards and methods, as well as existing policy or environmental standards, so that results will be used in policy implementation and evaluation. The useful and efficient incorporation of citizen science data and processes into the cycle of policy development requires high-quality data appropriate to the policy decision-making process and a mutual understanding of expectations (Young et al 2014, Chapman andHodges 2017).…”

“…Studies in the UK and Germany (Brämer 2010) demonstrate vast potential for engagement that remains largely untapped. This may result in part because the specific nature of citizen science data does not always fit policy demands or established indicators or processes (Chapman and Hodges 2017). Interesting successful experiences are occurring at the national, regional, and local levels (Haklay 2015), and these can serve as inspiration for a more integrated approach and more dialogue and knowledge exchange, rather than a one-dimensional communication (Young et al 2014).…”

Marine Citizen Science: Current State in Europe and New Technological Developments

“…Citizen Science promotes the collaboration between non-professionals and scientists and in a twoway process. Citizens can engage in various degrees from co-design and co-creation, through problem definition, data collection, analysis, and dissemination of results, to participation as interpreters of information and sensors (Shirk et al, 2012;Haklay, 2013;Chapman and Hodges, 2017). The benefits are shared: scientists enhance their monitoring and analytical capacities and citizens gain scientific knowledge, awareness, and recognition.…”

“…The benefits are shared: scientists enhance their monitoring and analytical capacities and citizens gain scientific knowledge, awareness, and recognition. The results can further influence local policies (Chapman and Hodges, 2017;Hecker et al, 2019) and the public's involvement can stimulate education initiatives (Sullivan et al, 2014;Dunkley, 2017). Citizen science is in this way the shaping and development of the different aspects of citizen science, its better understanding and use for the benefit of decision making.…”