In one of the recent blog entries, we talked about the different stages of participation of volunteers in a citizen science study. This time, we want to address that the form of involvement in a citizen science study can also be very different.
Let’s talk about three different categories of citizen science studies, that are described in literature and to whom the INSIGNIA-EU can be allocated (Bonney et al., 2009, see also Table 1).
Contributory projects: Typically, scientists design the study and the public is primarily involved by collecting data.
Collaborative projects: Scientists generally design the study, the public is involved by not only collecting the data, but also takes part in evaluating the study-setup, help analyzing data or is part of the dissemination process.
Co-created projects: Scientists work together with the public to design a study and at least a part of the volunteers is involved in all steps of the study process.
Continue reading “INSIGNIA-EU – the citizen scientist’s opinion counts too!”