Where does the balance lie? Scientific, societal, and individual goals of citizen science projects

Abstract

Citizen science is growing rapidly with positive outcomes documented for ecological research, conservation, policy, innovation, and increased citizen stewardship. This rapid increase provides an opportunity to reflect on the characteristics of citizen science projects and determine their diverse goals, practices and outcomes. This paper focuses on the perspective of those initiating and leading citizen science projects in the third largest growing citizen science landscape – Australia, discussing the varying goals, outcomes and impacts. Findings from the statistical and thematic analysis of an online questionnaire (for multiple-choice and open-ended questions respectively), demonstrate the Australian citizen science landscape as growing exponentially, dominated by ecological and biodiversity projects, yet mostly local in scope and limited in numbers of participants. Individual and community goals such as education, raising awareness and public engagement, were found to be the focus of most citizen science projects, whilst scientific developments and policy advancement were often considered secondary goals. Projects leaders describe inherent tensions in managing projects and balancing their many goals. For example, public engagement was concurrently considered a benefit of citizen science enabling non-scientists participation in science discourse and research, and a challenge in recruitment, retention and ongoing communication with citizens scientists. The findings underscore the imperative of striking a balance between scientific rigor, policy objectives and societal aims, for advancing the vision of citizen science and maximizing its effectiveness and ecological impact. This relevance extends globally, urging nations from the Global North to the Global South, to consider replicating and adapting these approaches for broader societal benefit.