Citizen science (CS) has emerged as a powerful approach to scientific research. It democratises the process by involving the public in various stages of research. However, achieving social inclusion within these initiatives remains a complex and multi-faceted challenge.
Recognising this, we—Nesta UK, King’s College London, T6 Ecosystems, and Science for Change, as part of IMPETUS are collaborating with the European Citizen Science project, CoAct, and the CitiObs projects to explore the barriers and opportunities surrounding social inclusion in citizen science.
Understanding Inclusivity in Citizen Science
Inclusivity in citizen science refers to the equitable involvement of diverse societal groups in scientific research. This means ensuring that people of different ages, genders, socioeconomic statuses, ethnicities, and educational backgrounds have the opportunity to participate. In the context of our projects, we observe that inclusivity can manifest in several ways:
- Engaging Underrepresented Groups: Efforts are made to actively involve communities and individuals who are traditionally excluded from scientific endeavours. This includes marginalised communities and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
- Co-Design and Participatory Approaches: Inclusivity is also achieved through co-design, where community members are not just participants but co-creators of the research process. This participatory approach ensures that the research addresses the concerns and needs of diverse groups.
- Methodological Inclusivity: The tools, methods, and outputs of CS initiatives (such as data collection methods, apps, creative outputs, and research impacts) are designed to be accessible and beneficial to a broad audience.
The IMPETUS Project and Its Role
The IMPETUS project aims to accelerate citizen science across Europe by supporting new projects and scaling up existing ones. This initiative is built on the recognition that citizen science can drive transformative change by involving citizens in addressing critical societal challenges. Through IMPETUS, we are working to create an ecosystem where citizen science can thrive, emphasising the importance of inclusivity and diversity.
Drivers and Barriers to Inclusivity
To understand what drives or hinders inclusivity in citizen science, this joint initiative will focus on two key questions:
- What is inclusivity in citizen science?
- What are the drivers of inclusivity in citizen science?
These insights will be collected through a case study approach, with a particular focus on specific citizen science initiatives (CSIs) that participated in either the IMPETUS Accelerator or the European Citizen Science programmes. From this, we hope to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the drivers and barriers to inclusion they experienced.
Moving Forward
Our ongoing research will culminate in producing a dedicated policy brief from IMPETUS by the end of October 2024, offering practical recommendations to support social inclusion in citizen science. We are also preparing a paper detailing our findings and methodologies. These documents will serve as valuable resources for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to build more inclusive citizen science projects across Europe and beyond.
As we continue this journey, we invite you to follow updates from IMPETUS, the European Citizen Science project, CoAct, and CitiObs .
Together, we can work towards a more inclusive and participatory scientific landscape where everyone can contribute to and benefit from scientific research.
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