Citizen Science –

Session 07 Talks
Citizen Science Studies. Engaging with the participatory turn
in the co-production of science and society
LAGEPLAN
Observing the observer: Citizen Social Science and the Participatory Turn
Alexandra Albert
University of Manchester, GB
The rise of citizen science and participatory science, where citizens voluntarily participate in scientific activities, has drawn attention
to the way in which scientific research is undertaken, to who the scientist is, who can collect data and what such data can be used for.
Citizen Social Science (CSS) explores the way in which the description of society by those living it generates society anew. CSS unpacks
traditional approaches to participation, and operates at the intersection of conventional methods for social science research and the
process of practical knowledge production by and for everyday experts. It is a form of social science from ‘within’ and makes use of
ethnomethodological approaches, of attempts to promote an understanding of society by the people being studied, for the people
being studied. This research explores the Mass Observation Project (MOP) as an early example of CSS, and examines the experiences
of the voluntary observers in recording and documenting their observations, and participating in the project. An analysis of a sample
of responses to four directives in the second wave of the MOP sheds light on notions of reflexivity. It contrasts the assumed professional
reflexivity of the trained social scientist with lay perspectives of the Mass Observers when asked about their role in the project.
It explores the way in which the Mass Observers are enlisted as co-producers of social science and society. The Mass Observers view
their role as one of contributing vital knowledge about current times for social and historical legacy. They are trusting in the framing
of the MOP and the way it is set up. They value the opportunity for self-reflection in their approach to the different topics or questions
posed in the project, as well as valuing the opportunity to reflect on previously unconsidered topics.
Who are the citizens in citizen science? Public participation in distributed computing
Jérome Baudry, Elise Tancoigne, Bruno Strasser
University of Geneva, CH
At the core of citizen science projects lies the belief that the making of science should not be seen as the sole purview of experts,
but instead should extend to a broader public. Whether they are called “amateurs”, “crowd”, “people”, or “citizens”, they are
increasingly enrolled by scientists not just to discuss and learn science, but also to actively engage in the production of scientific
knowledge. However, surprisingly little is known about who the citizens scientists are, especially with regard to their education and
professional backgrounds. The limited surveys which have been carried out tend to represent the most active participants only,
leaving open the question about the identity of the participants as a whole.
Our presentation will provide a closer look at one kind of citizen science project: distributed computing (Seti@home, Rosetta@
home, Einstein@home, etc.) focusing on the identity of the online participants. By mining online profiles and user data, our work
provides a rich picture of the demographics of participation. We also examine how participation is shaped by the very infrastructure
of the projects - public discussion spaces, teams organizations, and reward systems.
Openness in biohacking : expertise and citizen science
Rosen Bogdanov
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (IN3: Internet Interdisciplinary Institute), ES
Biohackers and do-it-yourself biology present an interesting example of a citizen science in practice. Taking the current configurations
of citizen science, it is not far-fatched to say that biohacking groups and networks have spurred a model closer to what many
authors have dubbed a co-created or community-based participatory research. What does such a reproduction of hacker cultures
in biology mean for the construction of expertise in citizen science?
In my presentation, I investigate numerous enactments of openness and the role they outline for the co-construction of expertise
and citizen-scientist collaboration in the European biohacking practitioners. In their practices, biohackers value learning by doing
and the adaptability of participants to novel knowledge or emerging problems through workshops and un-conferences. Additionally,
they construct artefacts that can be modified, both technically and legally, and actively vouch for the construction of new
versions that can bring unexpected originality out of mere reproduction. In other words, openness is enacted as, on the one hand,
an endeavor for building citizen expertise, and on the other - as a form of participation, whereby each participant's goals and existing
expertise are taken in consideration from the design of a project to its very implementation.
To that end, I argue that these practices of openness, more than representing a particular case of citizen science, can actually
enlighten its current models by placing importance on the thin line between education and research when engaging with citizens.
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First ECSA Conference 2016 | 19–21 May 2016 | Berlin