Citizen science has great potential to further strengthen the link between society and science. We spoke to Barend van der Meulen, professor of higher education policy at the University of Twente, and asked him about his views on scientists and citizens jointly carrying out research into current problems.
If you sit down to discuss citizen science with Barend van der Meulen, one thing quickly becomes clear: it’s not a hype. In fact, he sees citizen science as not only a logical but also an essential development in the role of university in society: training scientists who are firmly rooted in society, by performing research for and with citizens and by working together with them and with civil society organisations.
“Co-creating knowledge on current societal research questions together with actively participating citizens increases the overlap between the academic world and the world at large,” says Van der Meulen, professor of Institutional Aspects of (Higher) Education at the University of Twente. “At the same time, citizens’ participation fosters results that put them in a stronger position. In a stronger position to defend their own interests and those of their immediate environment and society as a whole. This is how citizen science serves two purposes at once.”
From data collection to close involvement
Van der Meulen has followed citizen science developments within and outside academia for years. He is affiliated to UT’s Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS), which has a longstanding tradition in research into the theoretical and practical aspects of citizen science. BMS is involved in regional and national projects in the fields of sustainability, infrastructure and health. Citizen science is one of the key priority areas in the new strategy of the entrepreneurial university.
Citizen science has branched out into various directions, says Van der Meulen, with citizens’ involvement varying from data collection to active participation and involvement in the research question and design. “When it comes to research requiring huge quantities of data, you need a lot of volunteers to produce valid results. But citizen science goes beyond finding a mushroom in the forest or having a device monitoring air pollution on the outer wall of your home.
More involvement and a greater sense of community
Citizen science also includes research that demands closer collaboration between scientist and citizen, Van der Meulen points out. He gives the example of research into how patients experience their disease or treatment from day to day.
He thinks it’s great that scientific focus has shifted from actual disease and treatments to the way patients experience these matters and their concrete consequences. “This has been an incredibly valuable development for individuals as well as for society at large, as this shifted focus enables researchers to come up with solutions developed in collaboration with patients. In other words, citizen science can shed light on those aspects of disease that medical research hardly addresses.”
Complex society, complex research
As wonderful as all of this sounds, Van der Meulen admits there are still plenty of challenges facing the embedding of citizen science in both academia and society at large. “People at university sometimes say that citizen science is tough and demands a lot of time. They’re not wrong. It’s a challenge for professional scientists to collaborate with people and organisations from outside academia. And the research is often complex. But experience shows the benefits outweigh the potential obstacles.”
He points out the great innovative strength of citizen science in comparison to science performed behind closed doors. “We’re already seeing that direct input from the neighbourhood or society as a whole leads to new research topics and different angles, which would’ve never been thought up in, say, a lab. Citizens make a different kind of knowledge available to researchers, knowledge that is more closely linked to the everyday reality beyond the academic world,” asserts Van der Meulen.
Trust in science
So on the one hand, citizen science enriches academia by actively seeking out the neighbourhood, the region and civil society organisations. On the other hand, it allows professional researchers to demonstrate the relevance of their work by focusing on making a positive impact on society. However, says Van der Meulen, it’s important for there to be a good match between the researcher and matters of relevance for citizens. “Professional interests and social themes should match.” Which is, unsurprisingly, part of UT’s mission: to help students and researchers discover citizen science as a valuable contribution to their professional development as scientists. This takes the form of exchange of knowledge and experiences on platforms, but increasingly often also in lectures, training courses and workshops. A lot of progress has been made in this area already. This past year, for instance, UT won the ‘Dutch Higher Education Award’ with its Master-Insert ‘Shaping Responsible Futures’, which equips researchers with the competences they need to work in a transdisciplinary fashion and to collaborate with citizens.
Van der Meulen points out that the involvement of science doesn’t stop once a project has been completed. “Because what will happen with the outcomes of a study and the possible solutions it has suggested? Citizen science always requires a follow-up showing the participating citizens what is done with their contributions.” Together with clarity and transparency with respect to the research, this follow-up builds trust. “It goes without saying that the data and input of the participating citizens and organisations should be handled carefully,” says Van der Meulen. “Privacy must be respected, but trust in science also comes from the knowledge actually being used in practice. This does not only increase the relevance of the research, but also builds citizens’ support and willingness to participate again next time.”