Introduction to citizen science

Citizen science broadly refers to the active involvement of non-professional individuals in scientific research, ranging from data collection to problem formulation and knowledge interpretation. Alan Irwin (1995), who introduced the term, emphasized its democratic potential, arguing that citizen participation can bridge the gap between scientific institutions and the public, recognizing lay knowledge as essential for addressing complex socio-environmental challenges. Similarly, Guston (1999) highlighted participatory governance approaches, showing how structured public engagement can reshape the relationship between experts, institutions, and society, enhancing legitimacy and trust in science.

Another important strand of citizen science is grounded in community-based participatory research, particularly in public health, environmental justice, and urban planning. Scholars such as Barbara Allen (2003, 2007) and Barbara Israel et al. (2010) highlight the collaborative design of research with communities, where local knowledge informs research questions, data collection, and interpretation. John Corburn (2005) conceptualizes “street science,” emphasizing the integration of lived experience with scientific expertise to produce more context-sensitive and socially responsive evidence. These approaches frame citizen science as a methodology and as a political and social practice aimed at addressing inequalities and empowering communities to influence policy and environmental management.

Contemporary understandings of citizen science recognize its plurality and diversity in both form and outcome. Rick Bonney and colleagues (2016) distinguish between contributory, collaborative, and co-created models, reflecting different levels of public participation and influence over research. Muki Haklay (2013) similarly emphasizes the spectrum of involvement, from simple volunteer data collection to full co-production of knowledge. Across these models, citizen science is valued for generating robust data, as well as for fostering public understanding of science, strengthening community engagement, and supporting socially and environmentally just decision-making.

References

Allen, B. L. (2003). Uneasy alchemy: Citizens and experts in Louisiana’s chemical corridor. MIT Press.

Allen, B. L. (2007). Citizen science, pollution, and power: A sideways look. Science as Culture, 16(2), 133–144. https://doi.org/10.1080/09505430701368908

Bonney, R., Phillips, T. B., Ballard, H. L., & Enck, J. W. (2016). Can citizen science enhance public understanding of science? Public Understanding of Science, 25(1), 2–16.

Corburn, J. (2005). Street science: Community knowledge and environmental health justice. MIT Press.

Guston, D. H. (1999). Evaluating the first U.S. consensus conference: The impact of the citizens’ panel on telecommunications and the future of democracy. Science, Technology, & Human Values, 24(4), 451–482. https://doi.org/10.1177/016224399902400402

Haklay, M. (2013). Citizen science and volunteered geographic information: Overview and typology. In D. Sui, S. Elwood & M. Goodchild (Eds.), Crowdsourcing geographic knowledge (pp. 105–122). Springer.

Irwin, A. (1995). Citizen science: A study of people, expertise and sustainable development. Routledge.

Israel, B. A., Eng, E., Schulz, A. J., & Parker, E. A. (2010). Methods in community-based participatory research for health (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.