New OECD publication: Strategically embedding citizen science as part of research policy

The report not only highlights the potential of citizen science for science, society and politics, but also offers a clearly structured political framework for action that provides decision-makers with concrete guidance.

Citizen science - a central element of open science

The publication emphasises that citizen science is not just a methodological approach, but an opportunity to strengthen the democratic quality of science and increase political legitimacy through participation. Citizens contribute valuable knowledge - be it local, historical or related to everyday life - to research, formulate new questions and actively contribute to data collection and analysis. The report therefore sees Citizen Science as an integral part of Open Science.

The paper identifies three main political motives for Citizen Science:

• Scientific acceleration and data generation: improving data availability and analysis capacities.
• Social relevance: Better alignment of research with societal needs and challenges.
• Democratisation of knowledge: Promoting transparency, legitimacy and acceptance of science-based policy.

The report also contains a large number of concrete policy options and best practice examples from 15 countries and organisations. Six key success factors for the flourishing of citizen science are particularly emphasised: Research funding, legal framework, institutional culture, capacity building, infrastructure and societal dialogue.

The full publication is available here.