{"title":"Evaluating citizen science projects: insights from radon research","authors":"Mabel Akosua Hoedoafia, Meritxell Martell, Tanja Perko","doi":"10.3389/fenvs.2024.1436283","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Citizen science projects have garnered attention for their potential to engage the public in scientific research and address societal challenges. However, assessing their impacts has often been overlooked or approached with overly simplistic methods. Aiming to fill this gap, this article draws on existing literature to propose an evaluation framework to critically examine how citizen science initiatives influence science, society and the participants themselves. This framework is tested on four citizen sciences projects in the field of radon research through content analysis of project reports and deductive analysis of 11 semi-structured interviews with citizen scientists and coordinators of the projects. The study demonstrates the feasibility of measuring the impacts of citizen science projects across scientific, participant, societal and researcher dimensions at the outcome level but also process evaluation at the process level. Our findings indicate that the proposed framework provides a comprehensive evaluation tool for citizen science projects, particularly in the field of radon research, and underscore the significant potential for improving participants’ knowledge on radon and risk mitigation strategies, as well as positive shifts in behaviour towards testing and mitigation and influencing public health policies.","PeriodicalId":12460,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Environmental Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Frontiers in Environmental Science","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1436283","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Citizen science projects have garnered attention for their potential to engage the public in scientific research and address societal challenges. However, assessing their impacts has often been overlooked or approached with overly simplistic methods. Aiming to fill this gap, this article draws on existing literature to propose an evaluation framework to critically examine how citizen science initiatives influence science, society and the participants themselves. This framework is tested on four citizen sciences projects in the field of radon research through content analysis of project reports and deductive analysis of 11 semi-structured interviews with citizen scientists and coordinators of the projects. The study demonstrates the feasibility of measuring the impacts of citizen science projects across scientific, participant, societal and researcher dimensions at the outcome level but also process evaluation at the process level. Our findings indicate that the proposed framework provides a comprehensive evaluation tool for citizen science projects, particularly in the field of radon research, and underscore the significant potential for improving participants’ knowledge on radon and risk mitigation strategies, as well as positive shifts in behaviour towards testing and mitigation and influencing public health policies.
期刊介绍：
Our natural world is experiencing a state of rapid change unprecedented in the presence of humans. The changes affect virtually all physical, chemical and biological systems on Earth. The interaction of these systems leads to tipping points, feedbacks and amplification of effects. In virtually all cases, the causes of environmental change can be traced to human activity through either direct interventions as a consequence of pollution, or through global warming from greenhouse case emissions. Well-formulated and internationally-relevant policies to mitigate the change, or adapt to the consequences, that will ensure our ability to thrive in the coming decades are badly needed. Without proper understanding of the processes involved, and deep understanding of the likely impacts of bad decisions or inaction, the security of food, water and energy is a risk. Left unchecked shortages of these basic commodities will lead to migration, global geopolitical tension and conflict. This represents the major challenge of our time. We are the first generation to appreciate the problem and we will be judged in future by our ability to determine and take the action necessary. Appropriate knowledge of the condition of our natural world, appreciation of the changes occurring, and predictions of how the future will develop are requisite to the definition and implementation of solutions.
Frontiers in Environmental Science publishes research at the cutting edge of knowledge of our natural world and its various intersections with society. It bridges between the identification and measurement of change, comprehension of the processes responsible, and the measures needed to reduce their impact. Its aim is to assist the formulation of policies, by offering sound scientific evidence on environmental science, that will lead to a more inhabitable and sustainable world for the generations to come.
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