Evaluating citizen science initiatives through a citizen science-based approach

Abstract

Citizen Science (CS) has gained increased recognition over the last two decades. This turn is occurring in strong connection with the profound transformations that have affected science over the last few decades, leading towards a new social model of science characterised by greater openness to society regarding research content actors involved, research processes, and expected societal and economic impact. CS is at the centre of this complex change dynamics as a tool that strongly sustains the shift towards the “open social model” of science supporting a new approach to the science-society relationship. However CS is rarely evaluated for its long-term structural effects on science and the science-society relationship. This article addresses this topic, having as a point of departure the ongoing EC-funded Step Change project, aimed at promoting five Citizen Science Initiatives (CSIs) in different research fields (health, energy, and environment). Under the project, an Evaluation Framework has been developed, shaping the evaluation process as a citizen science project by adopting a developmental and participatory approach. The Evaluation Framework is organised into two different but intertwined levels, one focused on the evaluation of the individual CSI (analytical level) and a second aimed at identifying recurrent patterns of obstacles, facilitating factors, or a mix of them (neutral situations) across the CSIs (cross-cutting level). While the analytical level is intended as a service to better implement the CSIs, the cross-cutting level is intended as a research process to generate new knowledge on how CS could serve as a tool for a better anchorage of science into society.