Abstract
The participation of citizens in scientific research has a long tradition, and in some disciplines, especially medical research, it is even common practice. In Technology Assessment (TA), Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), and Sustainable Development (SD), the participation of citizens can be of considerable value. In this paper, we explore this value for three concepts, based on the researcher’s insights from three participatory research projects. The first project is the citizen science project TeQfor1, which was conducted with, for, and on the type 1 diabetes community, who do not feel adequately supported by the conventional health care system. In the second project, citizens with vision impairments participated in the technological development of an audio-tactile navigation tool in the TERRAIN project. The third project (Nachtlichter) dealt with light pollution. Based on the three projects presented, we show that citizen participation makes specific contributions to TA, RRI, and SD. We also investigate the specificity of citizen engagement and motivation by differentiating between existing and emerging involvement. In conclusion, we discuss the benefits that may be added by participatory approaches for the three concepts of TA, RRI, and SD.
Highlights
IntroductionTransdisciplinary approaches, citizen participation, and stakeholder involvement are integral parts of research and science funding, as well as innovation policies within EU policy
The underlying assumption is that participation is necessary in some cases (i) to solve conflicts and societal challenges, (ii) to ensure research takes into account the priorities and experiences of people affected by the research topic, (iii) to improve the accuracy and relevance of research, (iv) to ensure people affected by the research issue benefit, (v) to shape technologies on the basis of societal values, and (vi) to increase the legitimacy and acceptance of policies
The participatory research and citizen science projects we describe all relate to Technology Assessment (TA), Research and Innovation (RRI), and Sustainable Development (SD), so that our analysis does not aim at a one-to-one assignment of projects and concepts but focuses on similarities and differences
Summary
Transdisciplinary approaches, citizen participation, and stakeholder involvement are integral parts of research and science funding, as well as innovation policies within EU policy. This is reflected in concepts such as Technology Assessment (TA), Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) [2], and Sustainable Development (SD) [3]. Citizen engagement and public participation in the framing of research programs are just as (politically) demanded as the corresponding adaptation of research plans in order to achieve “socially shaped”, sustainable, responsible and responsive socio-technical transitions [4] Sustainability 2021, 13, 11613 a single definition (e.g., [6,7]), and its specific values and contribution have not yet been empirically explored in relation to the overlapping but still distinct concepts of TA, RRI, and SD
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