Citizen science: How to extend reciprocal benefits from the project community to the broader socio-ecological system

Abstract

Quantitative plant biology is a growing field, thanks to the substantial progress of models and artificial intelligence dealing with big data. However, collecting large enough datasets is not always straightforward. The citizen science approach can multiply the workforce, hence helping the researchers with data collection and analysis, while also facilitating the spread of scientific knowledge and methods to volunteers. The reciprocal benefits go far beyond the project community: By empowering volunteers and increasing the robustness of scientific results, the scientific method spreads to the socio-ecological scale. This review aims to demonstrate that citizen science has a huge potential (i) for science with the development of different tools to collect and analyse much larger datasets, (ii) for volunteers by increasing their involvement in the project governance and (iii) for the socio-ecological system by increasing the share of the knowledge, thanks to a cascade effect and the help of ‘facilitators’.

Citizen Science Studies in Nursing: A Systematic Review

“…The scores are then summed up and translated into a final score. Scores are considered low between 0 and 6 points, low-medium (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12), medium (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19), medium-high (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26), and high (27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32). This score shows the quality of the study.…”

“…Citizens, on the one hand, experience empowerment through the opportunity to take on responsibilities and addressing relevant problems [ 9 ], while on the other hand, they develop scientific skills [ 8 , 10 ], making it an educational tool with formative and awareness-raising impact [ 11 ]. As far as scientists are concerned, CS projects drive new questions, hypotheses, and increased participation, facilitating greater research capacity in a more efficient manner [ 12 ]. Furthermore, within the realm of health, CS provides a fresh perspective on research, enabling a much more comprehensive approach that incorporates individuals’ experiences, sensations, and knowledge, thereby overcoming some of the limitations of more traditional studies such as participant dropout, abandonment, or the lack of personal and financial resources [ 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”

Diversifying Large-Scale Participatory Science: The Efficacy of Engagement through Facilitator Organizations

“…To address this need, we worked with several facilitator organizations to help engage households (Table 1). When engaging with facilitator organizations, we focused on reciprocity between the project leadership, members of the facilitator organization, and participants engaged through the facilitator organization (Receveur et al 2022). In the context of participatory science projects like Crowd the Tap, reciprocal benefits are those that meet the participants' goals for engaging and provide them ownership over the project (Hetland 2020).…”

Citizen scientists’ motivation to participate in environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys: A case study on monitoring mammals in the UK

“…In this study we encouraged an open and transparent two-way communication with volunteers, and we gained insights into the positive aspects and challenges involved in eDNA surveying by inviting them to evaluate project components (Receveur et al 2022;Robinson et al 2018), resembling the concept of extended peer review approach (Hacklay et al 2023). The volunteers had an overall positive experience and remained motivated to participate in eDNA sampling, finding joy in engaging with nature, working outdoors, exploring new locations, and communicating about science (Fig.…”