Public perception in Majalengka (Indonesia) toward citizen science concept

Abstract

Public participation in scientific research, known as Citizen Science (CS), is currently becoming a trend that continues to increase in many countries, including Indonesia. The involvement of citizens in helping scientists to collect, identify, and interpret scientific research data can assist researchers in obtaining more accurate findings. Citizen participation in scientific research in Indonesia remains low. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the perceptions of citizens in Majalengka (Indonesia) towards Citizen Science Concept (CSC). This research is a descriptive study with a survey method. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect research data. A total of 105 respondents were involved in this study. Results showed that 67.1% respondents did not know about the CSC, whereas 65.7% respondents did not have adequate scientific research knowledge. However, 71.4% respondents were interested in being involved in Citizen Science project and has a high motivation to become a citizen scientist. This study is expected to contribute to the development of citizen science programs in higher education level.