part of Citizen Science
Researchers from SEI Africa, Asia and York have co-developed a six-step, researcher-initiated co-created citizen science methodology, which they applied in two pilot projects with vulnerable communities in Kenya and Thailand. The authors discuss successes and challenges they encountered through the projects and reflect on recommendations for future citizen science projects.
Co-created citizen science projects involve participants in all stages of the scientific process, from developing research questions to analysing data and sharing results.
Steve Cinderby / SEI
To further the use of citizen science methodologies, more description and evaluation of co-created citizen science work is needed. The authors of this paper have sought to address this knowledge gap by sharing their experiences. Here, they discussed how citizen science approaches worked in two projects conducted in Nakuru, Kenya and Udon Thani, Thailand.
The authors outlined the project journeys, including successes and challenges, and they offered recommendations for future projects. The researchers emphasized the value of the co-created data to the participating communities, but underscored the need for understanding of structural challenges faced by the communities looking to pursue further action.
In light of their literature reviews and project evaluations, the authors co-developed a six-step, researcher-initiated co-created citizen science methodology for projects with vulnerable communities. The six steps are:
Steps 1 – 3 must loop together in response to community and stakeholder input: projects should be shaped around community priorities, skills, knowledge and budget. Sharing findings enables citizens to leverage the data generated to interact more effectively with local authorities and facilitates conversations towards shared understanding and priorities.
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