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)

Register your attendance using this form https://forms.gle/4Z8aNBoyXRREk5SGA 

The UCD Citizen Science Community of Practice is delighted to invite you to our conference in December.

This conference is part of the Leveraging Education to Advance Research in Citizen Science (LEARnS) project, funded by the UCD ReClaim initiative, funded by Wellcome Institutional Fund for Research Culture.

The conference is being held in Dublin's Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) on St Stephen’s Green in Dublin on Monday 08 December 2025 between 10am-3pm with lunch, morning, and afternoon refreshments.

Hear from Citizen Science experts across a range of academic disciplines, and join us for our panel discussion on the topic of “Sustainability of Citizen Science in Ireland.”

Register your attendance at this event using this form https://forms.gle/4Z8aNBoyXRREk5SGA 

Please register early, as spaces are limited. 

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)