How do Citizens Engage with Science. Challenges and Recommendations

Abstract

Citizen science (CS) has become a crucial form of public participation in science, helping to address global challenges and contribute to more democratic knowledge production. Despite its increasing presence (including literature reviews), uncertainties persist regarding the quality of data collected, the level of citizen participation, and ethical concerns. This editorial explores CS participation, aiming to provide a comprehensive analysis of engagement patterns, and challenges, and offering recommendations to enhance citizen involvement in scientific initiatives. A systematic review of existing literature indexed on Web of Science is conducted, following the PRISMA framework. The review covered 1,613 selected studies examining ‘participation’ across various scientific fields, identifying the methodologies used and the factors influencing engagement, such as benefits, challenges, and ethical concerns. The results reveal a growing trend in CS, particularly in the natural sciences, with citizen involvement mostly limited to data collection rather than higher-level engagement like analysis or decision-making. The study also highlights the underrepresentation of social sciences and the need for more interdisciplinary approaches. In conclusion, the article calls for increased interdisciplinarity, greater integration of citizens in decision-making processes, diversification of participatory methods, and context-specific strategies for participation. It emphasizes the importance of fostering public trust and awareness in science and proposes that these actions will improve the inclusivity and impact of citizen science initiatives.