Citizen Science kompakt

Since we are often asked what Citizen Science actually is and when such a project makes sense: Here are the most important answers to the questions what, why, who, when, and how. 

1. What is Citizen Science? 

Citizen Science refers to a form of science in which research projects are carried out with the help of or entirely by interested laypeople. 

2. Why Citizen Science?  

Citizen science enables citizens and scientists to collaborate on an equal footing. Participants can either be involved in existing research projects or initiate their own. 

Citizen Science offers the following advantages: 

• Knowledge gain for all participants
• Raising awareness of socially relevant topics among all those involved
• Collection of larger data sets
• Socially relevant results
• Faster implementation in practice
• A deeper understanding of science
• Participation in scientific and political processes 
• It's a lot of fun and leaves you wanting more!

3. Who does Citizen Science? 

The beauty of citizen science is that it is open to everyone. There are opportunities for everyone, from interested hobby botanists to people who are less interested in science, but who are interested in issues such as air quality in their own living environment. Ideally, Citizen Science projects take into account different interests and varying levels of knowledge. Various forms of participation can address different interests. For instance, while the hobby biologist participates in lab analysis, the family can take part in the less demanding aspect of data collection.

4. When does Citizen Science make sense? 

Just as the world of science is diverse, so are Citizen Science projects. Citizen science can be applied to various scientific fields and settings. It is particularly well-suited to:  

• when the aim is to collect a large amount of data
• when collective knowledge, experiential knowledge, or societal memory is important
• when residents should learn more about their own living environment
• when a problem (such as contaminated groundwater) needs to be examined more closely
• when scientific findings should be put into practice

5. How does catta do Citizen Science?  

catta is convinced that participation and involvement make a topic experiential and thus more understandable. Citizen Science allows people to experience science in a hands-on way, becoming part of the scientific process and making an active contribution. That is why we love citizen science projects, especially when they are presented in an appealing way, such as with underwear, strawberries or rocket ice cream. Even those who are less interested in science become curious to participate 😉 .

6. Your Citizen Science project with catta? 

Have you had a citizen science project in mind for a long time but don't know how to approach it? We can support you with the innovation, development and/or implementation of your own citizen science project. 

Text by: Jenny Casetti