Citizen Science: Introduction

Citizen science can be described as the voluntary participation of non-professional scientists in research and innovation at different stages of the process and at different levels of engagement, from shaping research agendas and policies, to gathering, processing and analysing data, and assessing the outcomes of research. (European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, 2020)

Citizen Science encompasses a wide variety of activities and practices that recognises non-professionals as valued and empowered actors in advancing knowledge, research and innovation. (UCD’s publication Engage your Research : An Introductory Guide to Engaging & Involving the Public in Research)

Citizen science broadly refers to the active engagement of the general public in scientific research tasks. Citizen science is a growing practice in which scientists and citizens collaborate to produce new knowledge for science and society. (The Science of Citizen Science)

Citizen science projects actively involve citizens in scientific endeavour that generates new knowledge or understanding. Citizens may act as contributors, collaborators, or as project leader and have a meaningful role in the project. ECSA (European Citizen Science Association). 2015. Ten Principles of Citizen Science. Berlin.

Citizen science is a global movement where individuals, family members, friends, community groups, or anyone does science to address real-world questions. (SciStarter)

Marine Science for Everyone : Monitoring Coasts, Protecting Oceans

Friday, 14th November 2025 

10:30 - 12:30 in Library Link 3, James Joyce Library, Belfield  

The UCD Citizen Science Community of Practice is delighted to welcome Dr Dorota Kolbuk from the UCD School of Biology and  Environmental Science / UCD Earth Institute.
 

Dorota will present examples of how citizen science can support marine and coastal research efforts, whether through occasional events like a BioBlitz, (a BioBlitz is a 24 or 48 hour event to find and record as many of the species in a given area as possible) or ongoing programs such as the Coastwatch annual survey.

Topics covered will include practical guidance on how to get involved in coastal citizen science, and the benefits these activities bring to environmental monitoring and community engagement. This presentation will be both in-person and online.

Refreshments will be available from 10:30am and the presentation will begin at 11:00am with time for Q&A

About the speaker

Dorota Kolbuk is a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Biology and Environmental Science and Earth Institute in UCD. She is an interdisciplinary environmental scientist, currently involved in the Horizon EU project MARBEFES, where she researches how marine biodiversity influences ecosystem services in the Irish Sea. Her work also involves stakeholder engagement and citizen science activities.

This is a UCD Citizen Science Community of Practice Event

UCD’s publication Engage your Research : An Introductory Guide to Engaging & Involving the Public in Research states:

“Citizen Science encompasses a wide variety of activities and practices that recognises non-professionals as valued and empowered actors in advancing knowledge, research and innovation.”

Blogs from the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment (UNSPBF)

Citizen Science Has Changed the World

A Personal Blog by Martin Brocklehurst, Chair of the Citizen Science Global Partnership and Project Partner, the EU Citizen Science Horizon Research Project AURORA – Tackling Climate Change

Citizen Science Delivers Big Wins for Biodiversity with More on the Horizon 

by Prof. Austin Mast, Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Board Member of the Citizen Science Global Partnership

Citizen Science, or the participation of the general public in the scientific research process, is an important element in establishing new links between science and society. It is thus essential to implementing Open Science, can contribute to innovation tailored to the needs of society, lead to reciprocal learning and foster a scientific culture across society as a whole.

From: The LIBER Roadmap to Open Science (LIBER is the Association of European Research Libraries)