Citizen Science (CS) represents a tool that may not only be useful to train students to collect data and to analyze huge data sets, but that can potentially lead them to cross different forms of knowledge and to increase their critical skills. CS actually refers to multiple possible tools, approaches and protocols. Implementing CS in scientific and pedagogic programs thus requires a solid theoretical foundation in order (i) to choose the most relevant participative approach to use and (ii) to evaluate its effects on the participants.

Against this background, the objectives of this section are to make you familiar with a few concepts that can be used as a theoretical background :

- to build a CS project and

- to analyze its effects in terms of empowerment of the participants, who may be students for instance. 

In this first section of the module, different forms of practicing CS will be introduced, according to the level of integration of citizens into the research process. Then, key points from pragmatism, an American philosophical school, will be presented as a potential rationale to analyze the effects of CS on participants.



Last modified: Tuesday, 30 November 2021, 12:09 PM