Contours of citizen science: a vignette study.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Social Science
• Science Communication

Background:

• Citizen science has grown significantly, but a clear, universally accepted definition and scope remain elusive.
• The proliferation of typologies and definitions in scientific literature indicates a challenge in establishing consensus.
• A need exists to identify points of agreement and disagreement among citizen science practitioners regarding what constitutes a citizen science activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the diversity of understanding regarding what constitutes citizen science.
• To explore the factors influencing perceptions of citizen science activities.
• To provide empirical data on the boundaries of citizen science as perceived by its practitioners.

Main Methods:

• Development and deployment of a survey featuring 50 vignettes (short case descriptions) of varying activities.
• Respondents rated each vignette on a scale from 'not citizen science' (0%) to 'citizen science' (100%).
• Survey included clear examples of non-citizen science and widely accepted citizen science, alongside vignettes designed to probe 10 factors and 61 sub-factors of potential controversy.

Main Results:

• The survey attracted 333 respondents, generating over 5100 ratings.
• Analysis revealed a significant plurality of understanding among practitioners regarding the definition and scope of citizen science.
• Specific factors and sub-factors were identified as key drivers of disagreement or consensus on whether an activity is citizen science.

Conclusions:

• The findings underscore the heterogeneity in how citizen science is conceptualized and practiced.
• There is a call for a more inclusive and open understanding of the activities encompassed by citizen science.
• Future research should address the identified areas of disagreement to foster greater clarity and collaboration within the citizen science community.