Serrano, F., et al. (2014), White Paper on Citizen Science for Europe, SOCIENTIZE.
The SOCIENTIZE Project aims at improving the understanding and uptake of the impacts associated with Citizen Science. These concepts are fuzzy, since amateurs engage in research, researchers group themselves in mediator clusters and, as members of a community, we all become policy makers albeit using a language different from theirs n the past two years, we mapped ongoing activities, institutions, funding programs and initiatives as a first step in deciding the way in which to improve citizen engagement in science. Once we analysed emerging trends and exemplary cases of citizen engagement in research processes and science- related policy making, we proceeded to gather collective knowledge, involving experts and amateurs alike. To raise awareness and encourage the uptake of these ICT-enabled, open and social scientific practices, we consistently applied the concept of trusted collaboration at all levels. We encountered a heterogeneous landscape made up of complex multi-actor, multi-level, transdisciplinary communities. The initial findings were published in the Green Paper and subsequently refined, endorsed and supplemented by findings from a broad consultation process and published in the present White Paper. When providing policy recommendations, we attempted to strike a proper balance between the different alternatives by addressing several issues and stakeholders at the same time and by paying special attention to the openness and emergence of this innovative approach to science.
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English
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