Community science最新文献

Citizen science (CS), the participation of laypeople in scientific research, is arguably a new concept in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Consequently, formal CS guidelines and support infrastructure are largely non-existent in these regions. This study seeks to contribute to this discussion by examining the factors that shape CS implementation and success in LMICs by analysing the strategies employed in the Action Towards Reducing snail-borne Parasitic diseases (ATRAP) project. ATRAP aimed to prevent snail-borne diseases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda by establishing CS networks in selected communities. The project empowered community members to become “local snail experts” and communication “ambassadors” by collecting data on snail vectors. This study compared ATRAP's participant recruitment strategies and interests in DRC and Uganda, juxtaposing them with CS principles and practices observed in high-income countries (HICs). The findings indicate that although project implementation followed similar strategies in both countries, the outcomes varied. Specifically, more participants were nominated in Uganda, while in DRC, female participants worked alongside their spouses. However, participant interests were consistent across both countries, with tangible benefits (financial compensation and smartphones) and social recognition observed as major motivating factors. These findings, among others, deviate from typical HIC-based CS models that emphasize voluntary engagement, underscoring the need for context-specific adaptations. Rather than simply replicating “standard” CS practices, future (LMICs-focused) initiatives should prioritize proper community entry, diverse recruitment strategies, and strong support systems to address participation barriers within the communities they aim to serve.

Citizen science (CS), the participation of laypeople in scientific research, is arguably a new concept in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Consequently, formal CS guidelines and support infrastructure are largely non-existent in these regions. This study seeks to contribute to this discussion by examining the factors that shape CS implementation and success in LMICs by analysing the strategies employed in the Action Towards Reducing snail-borne Parasitic diseases (ATRAP) project. ATRAP aimed to prevent snail-borne diseases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda by establishing CS networks in selected communities. The project empowered community members to become “local snail experts” and communication “ambassadors” by collecting data on snail vectors. This study compared ATRAP's participant recruitment strategies and interests in DRC and Uganda, juxtaposing them with CS principles and practices observed in high-income countries (HICs). The findings indicate that although project implementation followed similar strategies in both countries, the outcomes varied. Specifically, more participants were nominated in Uganda, while in DRC, female participants worked alongside their spouses. However, participant interests were consistent across both countries, with tangible benefits (financial compensation and smartphones) and social recognition observed as major motivating factors. These findings, among others, deviate from typical HIC-based CS models that emphasize voluntary engagement, underscoring the need for context-specific adaptations. Rather than simply replicating “standard” CS practices, future (LMICs-focused) initiatives should prioritize proper community entry, diverse recruitment strategies, and strong support systems to address participation barriers within the communities they aim to serve.

Citizen science (CS), the participation of laypeople in scientific research, is arguably a new concept in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Consequently, formal CS guidelines and support infrastructure are largely non-existent in these regions. This study seeks to contribute to this discussion by examining the factors that shape CS implementation and success in LMICs by analysing the strategies employed in the Action Towards Reducing snail-borne Parasitic diseases (ATRAP) project. ATRAP aimed to prevent snail-borne diseases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda by establishing CS networks in selected communities. The project empowered community members to become “local snail experts” and communication “ambassadors” by collecting data on snail vectors. This study compared ATRAP's participant recruitment strategies and interests in DRC and Uganda, juxtaposing them with CS principles and practices observed in high-income countries (HICs). The findings indicate that although project implementation followed similar strategies in both countries, the outcomes varied. Specifically, more participants were nominated in Uganda, while in DRC, female participants worked alongside their spouses. However, participant interests were consistent across both countries, with tangible benefits (financial compensation and smartphones) and social recognition observed as major motivating factors. These findings, among others, deviate from typical HIC-based CS models that emphasize voluntary engagement, underscoring the need for context-specific adaptations. Rather than simply replicating “standard” CS practices, future (LMICs-focused) initiatives should prioritize proper community entry, diverse recruitment strategies, and strong support systems to address participation barriers within the communities they aim to serve.

Community Health Workers (CHWs) play a pivotal role in the management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) within Primary Health Care settings. Adequate training is essential to strengthen their capacity to deliver care, particularly by fostering dialogue between the health team and the community. This study aimed to describe the co-design process underlying the development of an educational technology (ET) intended to train CHWs in T2DM management in the Brazilian Amazon. This mixed-methods study involved the development of video lectures and printed support materials through the following stages: identification of CHWs' primary training needs; definition of the ET structure; development of thematic content, scripts, and instructional materials; creation of interactive resources; expert review; preliminary presentation to CHWs; and final evaluation and validation by experts. Usability was assessed by CHWs using the System Usability Scale (SUS), with scores ≥72.74 considered indicative of acceptable usability. The 17 participating CHWs rated the ET positively, with a mean SUS score of 84 ± 11.1, reflecting high usability. The educational technology demonstrated strong usability and, given its collaborative and problem-oriented development process, represents a promising tool to enhance CHWs’ performance in T2DM management.

Coastal communities face increasing risks from hurricanes, heavy rainfall, sea-level rise, and flooding—all of which are intensified by climate change. Many of these communities are striving to plan proactively in advance of the next severe event; involving community members alongside managers, scientists, and other stakeholders in the resiliency planning process is necessary to build sustainable solutions. In Wilmington, North Carolina, we held two community workshops to understand residents' perceptions of flood risks, assess barriers to preparedness, and explore locally relevant strategies for flood resilience and preparedness. These workshops were designed in collaboration with trusted community partners and intentionally structured to be inclusive, responsive to local needs, and trauma-informed. Through interactive activities and facilitated discussion, participants shared lived experiences, identified gaps in communication, and co-developed ideas for improving flood safety in their communities. Findings reveal strong concern about future neighborhood flooding, a desire for more transparent and timely information, and interest in ongoing involvement in resilience planning. This paper presents a framework for designing trauma-informed, inclusive workshops to support flood resilience planning in a coastal community.

Case studies on co-production and geographic information systems have reported on the utility and value of community members contributing local knowledge for and providing feedback on maps in ways that can increase the accuracy and usability of the map. However, how the concept for and goals of the map are co-produced and how the maps are then used by the community is understudied. This paper uses a co-operative inquiry approach to assess equity in co-production throughout the process of building and using the Tar Creek Superfund and Flood map for storytelling, environmental activism, and education. The project team designed and built an interactive flood map demonstrating that floodwaters flow through the Tar Creek Superfund site, potentially carrying and distributing mining waste throughout the community, further exacerbating the environmental harm the community has experienced as a result of mining. The team was formed through the Thriving Earth Exchange, which brings community leaders, volunteer scientists, and technical experts together to work on community-driven projects. The purpose of this project was to both make—and use—the map dynamically within the community in pursuit of education and environmental activism goals. Equity is measured by assessing roles and labor not only within making the map but also within its various uses by community members.

Urban regions situated along major river systems are increasingly facing flood risks, driven by the combined effects of rapid urbanization and intensifying climate change. The Quad Cities region, comprising Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline in Illinois, is vulnerable to flood hazards caused by extreme precipitation, fluvial surges, and extensive impervious surfaces. Historical records indicate 10%–20% increase in annual precipitation, with a rise in high-intensity rainfall. Projections under the SSP5-8.5 scenario, using statistically downscaled MIROC6 data, predict a continued increase in short-duration high-magnitude rainfall events. To quantify flood inundation scenarios, this study developed a coupled hydrologic-hydraulic (HH) model over a 35.5-mile Mississippi River corridor. Simulations indicate that, without intervention, flood depths could rise by 20%–45% and the inundation extent of flooding could expand significantly in low-lying areas of Rock Island and East Moline. To mitigate these risks, the study tested eight nature-based solutions (NbS), including bioswales, rain gardens, riparian buffers, infiltration trenches, and detention basins. HH modeling showed that the combined implementation of NbS can reduce peak discharge by up to 69.4% and increase water infiltration by over 25%, resulting in an estimated 37% reduction in flooded areas by the end of the century. Through over 30 stakeholder interviews, three public forums, and participatory mapping workshops, residents identified priority flood zones and proposed NbS strategies. This integrated approach helped develop a streamlined framework that combines high-resolution flood modeling with community-led planning, creating robust and socially equitable adaptation pathways for riverine urban systems.

Scientific research that addresses the complex impacts of climate change requires training researchers capable of conducting societally relevant and actionable research through equitable community science methods. In this article, we, a cohort of eight graduate students with the United States Geological Survey Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center 2022–2023 Natural Resource Workforce Development Fellowship, reflect on our experience learning and using community science skills as an interdisciplinary team through the lens of an experiential learning research project. Through this year-long fellowship, we increased our competency in equitable community science skills identified in the literature, including transdisciplinary and ethical thinking, building interpersonal relationships, working as a team toward a shared goal, and self-reflection. We also encountered several challenges in executing community science, some we had anticipated and some we had not, including our ability to develop meaningful and equitable collaborations within the fellowship timeframe. Our reflections highlight the importance of partnership development, flexibility, and clear communication in overcoming these challenges while also underscoring the need for longer-term community partner engagement, mentorship, and institutional support to facilitate meaningful and equitable collaborations. We share and provide reflection for future students, educators, and practitioners on our experience as graduate students participating in a training-focused fellowship to learn and engage in community science methods.

Xwulqw'selu Sta'lo' is a culturally significant and salmon-bearing river facing significant challenges, which Cowichan Tribes and the British Columbia provincial government are addressing with a first-of-its-kind watershed plan. Our research is deeply situated at Xwulqw'selu Sta'lo' and is grounded in interdisciplinary academic spheres of place-based research, water monitoring and modeling, cogovernance and systems theory. Our project is an example of developing a deliberate, robust, and responsive community science project designed to engage community, impact decision-making, and respectfully work together in place, on the land. We describe developing and initiating our project and share a visual representation of how we structure our project as “woven statements.” The five statements give our research project team a shared understanding and motivation and help us plan and make decisions. The statements can be visualized as vertical warps interwoven with research projects, goals, and partnerships as horizontal wefts. The warps and wefts mutually support each other since weaving gains strength where warp and weft meet, connect, and overlap. Key lessons include the importance of taking responsibility for positionality, knowledge, and relationships; the value of intention setting that reflects the context and the priorities of partners and community; and that projects can flourish if structured around the good present in community.

Federal and state health data sets often lack the granularity needed for medically underserved small towns. To address this, we conducted two community health assessment surveys in Knights Landing (KL), a rural agricultural town in California, to identify local healthcare strengths, barriers, and needs. Utilizing a Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) framework, our project centered on a collaboration between academic-researchers and promotora-researchers: community leaders who evolved from activists to empowered research partners over a decade. Data from an initial randomized survey in 2013 (N = 88) informed the design of a follow-up survey in 2018 (N = 100). For the 2018 survey, promotora-researchers made the executive decision to shift to snowball sampling, which provided a deeper understanding of the health experiences of the clinic's most vulnerable and historically underrepresented populations. Both surveys produced actionable community-owned data that stimulated significant community organizing, led to expanded services at the student-led clinic (KLOHC), and cultivated public health investments for Knights Landing. This study demonstrates how a decade-long partnership, grounded in shared power and evolving into a Community-Owned and -Managed Research (COMR) model, can generate a robust and adaptive health assessment tool. Ultimately, this work highlights the transformative power of community involvement in health research for creating impactful and enduring change.