Sharing open science experiences: A conversation on citizen science | KU Leuven Open Science Day

by Michiel Van Oudheusden, Huib Huyse, Jef Van Laer, Annelies Duerinckx, and Violet Soen

Citizen science practitioners, researchers, and facilitators share their responses to the question ‘What is good citizen science, for whom, and why?’, with the aim of informing and developing citizen science theory and practice.

Abstract

Citizen science currently attracts considerable public funding in Flanders (Belgium) and other European knowledge-driven economies, typically with the aims of generating new research data, encouraging mutual learning among various stakeholders (scientists, citizens, policymakers), and fostering an open science culture that is receptive to, and inclusive of, public concerns. This panel conversation reflected on these citizen science rationales and considered the implications these have for citizen science practice. To meet this objective, each panelist provided their responses to the following question: What is good citizen science, for whom, and why? Panelists drew on their experiences and roles as initiators, orchestrators, facilitators, and/or evaluators of citizen science processes, unpacking assumptions (including their own) about civic participation in science. By highlighting their struggles, commitments, and values, panelists shared their open science experiences, giving us a better sense of what is at stake in (open) citizen science.