eu-citizen.science blog

Dorte, April 24, 2024, 12:40 p.m.

ECSA2024 in Vienna was an inspiring reminder of the vibrant energy that drives our community. The conference was a dynamic space for networking, learning, and collaborative thinking. Informal discussions and spontaneous meetings among attendees sparked creative ideas and new collaborations, emphasising the value of face-to-face interactions.

Stefanie, April 24, 2024, 1 p.m.

Rethinking impact assessment in citizen science was the topic of a whole-day focus session at the ECSA Conference 2024 in Vienna. The event was the perfect space for more than 80 attendees to discuss current challenges and possible solutions to evaluation and impact assessment in a design thinking approach that spread across three consecutive sessions. It was organised by Barbara Kieslinger, Teresa Schaefer and Stefanie Schuerz of the ECS project and Antonella Passani of the Impetus project.

Simona Cerrato, April 24, 2024, 12:51 p.m.

The ECSA2024 conference closed with a very special event, the Citizen Science Day, which was held on Saturday 6 April in the wonderful setting of the Natural Science Museum of Vienna. On the balcony overlooking the spectacular circular entrance, dozens of activities, projects and organisations were available to visitors who in their thousands visited the museum that day. An event that gave us the opportunity to free ourselves from our computer screens and be with people: families, girls and boys, researchers, colleagues all together to explore the potential of citizen science.

Sonia Liñán, Feb. 8, 2024, 12:44 p.m.

The European Citizen Science (ECS) project has released a report to revolutionise data management practices within citizen science initiatives. This report, led by researchers from the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), derived from a meticulous literature review, serves as a comprehensive guide for organisations and individuals involved in developing and implementing technological services in citizen science.

Cathrine, Jan. 31, 2024, 10:58 a.m.

As a part of the EU-funded project YouCount, the Department of sustainability and planning of the Aalborg University, in Denmark, have experimented with implementing citizen social science as a tool for working practice and action-based with sustainability for civic youth engagement.

Yaela Golumbic, Jan. 31, 2024, 10:53 a.m.

Citizen science in Israel has been growing slowly yet steadily, over the past years. Yet, projects generally operate independently of one another, needing to build their own expertise, infrastructure and public support systems. This situation restricts the sharing of knowledge, limits the efficient allocation of resources, and ultimately prevents projects from reaching their full potential. This is why the Israel Center for Citizen Science was established.

Floor, Jan. 31, 2024, 10:34 a.m.

Get to know the Citizen Science Contact Point (CSCP) launched in October 2022 by the Research Council of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. As the name suggests, the research community at Vrije Universiteit Brussel can address the Citizen Science Contact Point for all things citizen science. But the larger aim, as stated in the policy plans, is to stimulate both the quality and the quantity of funded Vrije Universiteit Brussel projects applying a citizen science approach, and to promote a culture in which citizen science is considered as a fully-fledged research method.

Simona Cerrato, Jan. 23, 2024, 1:26 p.m.

From November 24th to 26th, the first national conference of the newly established association Citizen Science Italia took place in Pisa. It was a significant event held in the charming setting of the Arsenali repubblicani, a venue that bears witness to the city's long maritime history and its openness to new horizons. We discussed the conference with Andrea Sforzi, Gaia Agnello, and Chiara Vitillo, the organisers of the event and the driving force behind the association. Tigre, Gaia's cat, joined us, never missing a video call when it comes to citizen science.

Simona Cerrato, Jan. 23, 2024, 1:15 p.m.

Dal 24 al 26 novembre si è tenuto a Pisa il primo Convegno nazionale della neonata associazione Citizen Science Italia. È stato un evento importante nella suggestiva cornice degli Arsenali repubblicani, a Pisa che testimoniano la lunga storia marinara della città e la sua apertura verso nuovi orizzonti. Ne parliamo con Andrea Sforzi, Gaia Agnello e Chiara Vitillo, che hanno organizzato l’evento e sono lo spirito dell’associazione. Ci ha accompagnato Tigre, la gatta di Gaia, che non perde nemmeno una videochiamata quando si tratta di citizen science.

Meritxell, Dec. 5, 2023, 9:06 a.m.

Radon is a radioactive gas that is odourless, colourless and tasteless and poses a serious risk of lung cancer, a risk enhanced by exposure to air pollution and smoking. Citizen science can contribute to investigate the scientific, technical and societal risks from radon exposure situations, and support good management of these materials and effective radiation protection.

Meritxell, Dec. 1, 2023, 10:06 a.m.

Citizen scientists are undoubtedly the vital essence of any citizen science project. Therefore, keeping an eye on what interests and motivates the citizens, and what they expect from their involvement in the project, is crucial to ensure not only the success but also the sustained longevity of citizen science initiatives. Yet, maintaining consistent engagement and ensuring citizens remain highly motivated throughout can pose a challenge for many citizen science initiatives.

Claudia, Dec. 1, 2023, 9:18 a.m.

Whether you joined our citizen science journey from the beginning or came aboard the Citizen science lighthouse later on, we hope that you are enjoying the reads so far. As we bid farewell to the fourth and last issue of this year’s magazine, we are thrilled to share a wrap-up of some of the ECS project’s 2023 activities that might be of interest to you.