Citizen Science in Environmental and Ecological Research

We are excited to announce the publication of a new FRAMEwork supported paper in Nature.

Graphic | Taskscape

The paper is co-authored by Gerid Hager from consortium partner IIASA, Finn Danielsen from consortium partner NORDECO and colleagues and appeared in the Nature Reviews: Methods Primers section of the publication. 

The work offers a comprehensive review of the significant role of citizen science in environmental and ecological sciences. It explores how non-professional participants contribute to data collection, advancing scientific research and addressing critical issues such as biodiversity, land cover, forest health, and marine pollution.

The authors highlight the full life-cycle of citizen science projects, from design and implementation to evaluation and data management. Key issues like participant engagement, data quality, and ethical considerations are addressed, providing valuable insights for both new and experienced practitioners. Examples illustrate the diverse applications of citizen science, emphasizing its potential to fill data gaps and enhance scientific knowledge through public participation.

This publication underscores the importance of integrating citizen science into broader scientific and policy frameworks, promoting open science and societal collaboration. Its practical guidelines offer great value to anyone involved in or considering citizen science projects. 

Of course, these insights reflect a key aspect of the FRAMEwork approach and you can find further helpful resources on the topic of Citizen Science on our information hub, Recodo.   

Read the full paper here to learn more about the transformative potential of citizen science in environmental and ecological research.

Nature is a weekly international journal publishing the finest peer-reviewed research in all fields of science and technology on the basis of its originality, importance, interdisciplinary interest, timeliness, accessibility, elegance and surprising conclusions. Nature also provides rapid, authoritative, insightful and arresting news and interpretation of topical and coming trends affecting science, scientists and the wider public.