Citizen science in Greece for the environmental sector and beyond
Citizen science (CS) may be understood as a scientific domain as well as a research method that involves non-experts (citizens) in one or more parts of the life cycle of a research project or activity, resulting in the generation of new knowledge or understanding. For the environmental domain, CS evolved initially on the basis of the participation of citizens in the observation/monitoring of the quality and the characteristics of the environment they live in. CS in Greece is still at a premature level in comparison to other countries, as resulting from the number and the extent of the relevant activities. In the frame of an internet-oriented survey, we were able to identify approximately 100 CS-related ongoing or recently finished projects, the majority of which refer to STEM activities. Out of those activities, biodiversity surfaced as the main research subject, while air quality, urban environment, and agriculture seem to be high in the research preferences. Regarding the non-STEM activities, education is the domain with the biggest influence in citizen science projects. We provide the detailed results of a thorough investigation of CS-related activities in Greece, with emphasis on the environmental sector. We identify the environmental domains that were addressed by relevant projects, and we evaluate the results of such activities in terms of their potential impact on the environment and society. In addition, we report on the status and future trends concerning environment-related CS activities, with special emphasis on the use of popular and widely accessible devices like smartphones for environmental monitoring.
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| Year of publication: | 2021 |
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Aristotle University of Thess…
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