Sauermann, Henry and Vohland, Katrin and Antoniou, Vyron and Balázs, Bálint and Göbel, Claudia and Karatzas, Kostas and Mooney, Peter and Perelló, Josep and Ponti, Marisa and Samson, Roeland and Winter, Silvia (2020) Citizen science and sustainability transitions. Research Policy, 49 (5). p. 103978. ISSN 00487333

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Abstract

Citizen Science (CS) projects involve members of the general public as active participants in research. While some advocates hope that CS can increase scientific knowledge production (“productivity view”), others emphasize that it may bridge a perceived gap between science and the broader society (“democratization view”). We discuss how an integration of both views can allow Citizen Science to support complex sustainability transitions in areas such as renewable energy, public health, or environmental conservation. We first identify three pathways through which such impacts can occur: (1) Problem identification and agenda setting; (2) Resource mobilization; and (3) Facilitating socio-technical co-evolution. To realize this potential, however, CS needs to address important challenges that emerge especially in the context of sustainability transitions: Increasing the diversity, level, and intensity of participation; addressing the social as well as technical nature of sustainability problems; and reducing tensions between CS and the traditional institution of academic science. Grounded in a review of academic literature and policy reports as well as a broad range of case examples, this article contributes to scholarship on science, innovation, and sustainability transitions. We also offer insights for actors involved in initiating or institutionalizing Citizen Science efforts, including project organizers, funding agencies, and policy makers.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Citizen science; Crowd science; Co-design; Sustainability transitions; Science and innovation studies; Science education;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Computer Science Faculty of Science and Engineering > Research Institutes > Hamilton Institute Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Institutes > Maynooth University Social Sciences Institute, MUSSI
Item ID:	16239
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2020.103978
Depositing User:	Peter Mooney
Date Deposited:	06 Jul 2022 07:40
Journal or Publication Title:	Research Policy
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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