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Formats of Participatory Science
| Participatory Science can take many different formats depending on the contexts in which they are implemented. The choice of format directly influences how participants engage in the project, the nature of the data collected, as well as the educational, scientific, and social impacts of the program. |
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Some initiatives are integrated into formal institutional settings, such as school or university education, while others take place in more informal environments, where experience, observation, and collaboration between citizens are at the heart of the process. Formats can thus be designed for one-off actions or as part of a long-term dynamic, with recurrence and follow-up.
| Each format has its specificities and involves adapted logistics and objectives. |
For example, several major categories of formats can be identified, which may sometimes be combined:
Scientific stays and expeditions: Integrated into immersive stays, these participatory science activities enable a field-based approach where participants experience a full engagement with research. This may take place during thematic holiday trips, language exchanges, or even itinerant missions, where the travel itself is part of the scientific experience (e.g.: biodiversity monitoring expeditions across multiple sites). This format promotes experiential learning where knowledge is acquired through practice and interaction with the environment.
In a school setting: When integrated into the school system, participatory science creates a direct link between research activities and educational programs. They may take the form of school trips, where entire classes engage in field research, or be integrated throughout the academic year, through classroom or field-based experience monitoring (e.g.: monitoring the water quality of a nearby river). In a university context, they can be part of collaborative research projects where students and researchers work together on developing and analyzing scientific protocols.
In a recreational setting: Outside the school setting, some initiatives are based in recreational environments: holiday camps, mini-camps, or occasional workshops in leisure centers or local associations. These formats allow for more flexible activities, adapted to various audiences and levels of engagement. Depending on the case, they can involve one-off introductory activities or longer-term programs over several sessions.
In daily life: Some initiatives are integrated into the participants’ daily routines, without requiring enrollment in a specific program. This may involve personal observations made from home (e.g.: monitoring bird species in one’s garden), during hikes or outdoor activities, or through dedicated mobile apps that enable continuous data collection and sharing (e.g.: reporting plastic pollution on a collaborative platform). This format encourages personal ownership of participatory science and enables broad public engagement over the long term.
During seminars and scientific events: Participatory science can also enrich academic and institutional events by incorporating moments of collaborative data collection and analysis. This allows participants—whether researchers, decision-makers, or citizens—to actively engage in the scientific process and produce knowledge collectively. Some conferences thus include participatory protocols alongside theoretical presentations, enabling live experimentation with research methods.
| Each format has its own specificities and constraints: logistics, regulatory framework, continuity in data monitoring, required levels of engagement… It is therefore essential to choose or combine formats based on the project’s objectives and the target audience. |
Audiences Engaged in Participatory Science
| Participatory Science is, by nature, inclusive. It can involve a diversity of stakeholders, each of whom can make a valuable contribution—whether through data collection, result analysis, knowledge transmission, or the implementation of concrete actions linked to scientific discoveries. |
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Involving different audiences can not only strengthen the reach and legitimacy of projects but also foster learning dynamics, awareness, and long-term engagement.
While audience categories can be identified, it is important to note that their involvement may take different forms depending on the context and objectives of the projects:
School students (e.g.: primary schools, middle schools, high schools, teachers incorporating these practices into their teaching): Participatory Science offers students an active learning approach aligned with school curricula. It encourages investigative thinking, scientific curiosity, and collaborative work. For teachers, it serves as a pedagogical tool to contextualize knowledge and develop transversal skills (critical thinking, autonomy, cooperation…).
Students and researchers (e.g.: university participants engaged in knowledge co-construction): At the university level, Participatory Science can be integrated into academic curricula through field projects, practical assignments, internships, or applied research dissertations. It allows students to engage directly with real-world issues and to actively contribute to scientific knowledge development. For researchers, citizen involvement can enhance projects by supplying large volumes of data or by promoting interdisciplinary approaches.
Individuals and families (e.g.: citizens of all ages looking to get involved during their free time): Participatory Science enables everyone to contribute, either occasionally or regularly, to scientific projects—whether by observing biodiversity from their garden, taking part in field expeditions, or analyzing data from home. Family participation can strengthen intergenerational bonds and raise awareness of scientific and environmental issues from an early age.
Tourists and vacationers (e.g.: scientific discovery and contribution during an educational trip): Participatory Science trips and stays combine discovery with engagement. Participants are immersed in a scientific environment linked to local issues (species monitoring, ecosystem observation, participatory mapping…). These formats provide a favorable framework for experiential learning and sustainable tourism.
Companies and employees (e.g.: involvement in Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility - CSR): More and more companies are incorporating Participatory Science into their CSR strategies, through awareness-raising activities, community engagement days (e.g.: beach clean-ups, environmental observation records), or partnerships with scientific programs. This involvement helps reinforce scientific culture within organizations and engage employees in meaningful initiatives.
Retirees and seniors (e.g.: knowledge transmission and active contribution to citizen science): Many projects benefit from the experience and availability of retirees, who often play a key role in passing on knowledge and ensuring the continuity of initiatives. Their empirical knowledge—especially regarding local traditions and the history of natural environments—can complement scientific approaches and enrich analysis.
| Involving a wide range of audiences can, for example, foster an intergenerational and interdisciplinary approach to Participatory Science. In such cases, each actor contributes in their own way, with their skills and specific perspective, which leads to better ownership of the issues and multiplied impacts at different scales. A well-designed Participatory Science project can thus strategically combine different audience types to optimize their engagement and promote a collective dynamic around the production and sharing of knowledge. |
Objectives and Issues to Address
| Participatory Science projects are not limited to the simple collection of scientific data; they are designed to address diverse issues and achieve multiple objectives. |
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These objectives structure the project’s design, influence the choice of methods used, and guide participant involvement.
Two main categories of objectives can be distinguished, which are complementary:
- Final / vertical objectives: These correspond to the scientific and operational goals of the project. They represent the concrete result targeted in terms of research or innovation, for example:
(ex.: improving knowledge about a species, mapping pollution, testing an innovative protocol).- Improve knowledge about an endangered species (ex.: monitoring bonobo populations in the DRC),
- Map and characterize environmental pollution (ex.: identifying macroplastics in a coastal area),
- Test an innovative scientific protocol in real conditions (ex.: evaluating new methods for water analysis).
- Transversal objectives: These concern the learning and skills developed by participants, integrating educational, social, and methodological dimensions. They can be grouped into three axes:
- Knowledge: Acquisition of scientific, technical, and methodological knowledge (ex.: understanding how an ecosystem works, mastering the principles of chemical analysis).
- Know-how: Development of specific practical and technical skills (ex.: handling measuring instruments, field data collection, database management).
- Interpersonal skills: Strengthening of social and personal abilities (ex.: teamwork, cooperation, critical thinking, civic engagement, autonomy).
| Each Participatory Science project integrates a combination of these objectives, depending on the target audience and application context. For instance, a project conducted in a school setting can simultaneously pursue goals related to the educational curriculum while enhancing cooperation within a class. Similarly, a program involving citizens may aim to raise awareness of a local issue while producing useful data for scientific research. |
Examples of objectives in a Participatory Science project:
Educational objectives: For example, to develop scientific education and the transmission of scientific knowledge through activities involving experimentation and practice.
Outreach objectives: For example, to make complex concepts (e.g., scientific, technological, theoretical, ...) accessible to a broad audience; to promote scientific culture.
Awareness-raising objectives regarding local issues: For example, to introduce participants to the specific challenges and issues of their environment (biodiversity, climate change, pollution, water management...).
Personal and social development objectives: For example, to encourage inclusion, intergenerational collaboration, and strengthen social bonds.
Objectives for lasting impact and sustainability: For example, to design locally grounded projects with long-term effects, involving various stakeholders to ensure continuity of the initiatives.
| The clear identification and formulation of these objectives are essential for designing an effective Participatory Science project. They allow for the adaptation of methods, the evaluation of the project’s impact, and the sustainable engagement of participants. A well-designed project does not aim solely at scientific production, but also seeks to inspire, educate, and engage citizens in a dynamic of change and co-construction of knowledge. |
Types of Activities
| Participatory Science is distinguished by the diversity of pedagogical approaches it employs. By varying activity formats, it fosters active participant engagement and allows projects to be adapted to different profiles, ages, and contexts. |
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Far from a top-down approach to knowledge transmission, these activities place participants in an interactive dynamic of discovery, experimentation, and solving concrete problems.
Each type of activity can be integrated in a complementary way within a single project, depending on the educational, scientific, and social objectives pursued. Among the main approaches are:
Experiments and scientific protocols: Observation, data collection, environmental measurements, biological surveys, sample analysis. These activities allow participants to apply scientific methods in a practical way and directly contribute to the production of knowledge (e.g.: studying the quality of river water, monitoring an animal population, analyzing pollutants).
Playful activities: Using games as tools for learning and experimentation (e.g.: serious games, scientific escape games, building models to understand ecological concepts, interactive simulations). These approaches facilitate understanding of complex concepts by making science more accessible and engaging.
Sports activities and immersion in nature: Scientific hikes, treks, diving, climbing, bivouacs, ecosystem exploration. Physical effort combined with field experience offers a sensory and immersive approach to science (e.g.: stargazing in the wild, scientific trekking to map alpine fauna).
Manual and artistic activities: Building measuring tools, nature drawing, constructing sensors, participatory mapping. These activities allow science to be approached from a practical and sensory perspective, while developing technical and creative skills.
Collective life and cooperation: Group work, project management, participatory dynamics, and collective decision-making (e.g.: organizing a scientific bivouac, planning an observation mission, leading scientific debates). These activities promote autonomy, responsibility, and collaborative learning.
Dissemination: Sharing scientific knowledge and results in various formats (e.g.: conferences, science mediation workshops, exhibitions, logbooks, school presentations, outreach for diverse audiences). These actions highlight participant engagement and help disseminate learning beyond the project.
| By combining several of these approaches and types of activities, Participatory Science enables learning through experience, where participants are not mere observers but become actors in the production and transmission of knowledge. This diversity of activities helps strengthen project impact by adapting formats to the audiences involved and offering a variety of experiences that stimulate curiosity, critical thinking, and long-term engagement. |
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the Heart of Participatory Science
| The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), defined by the UN, provide a structuring framework for participatory science projects. These initiatives not only raise participant awareness of sustainable development issues but also generate data and concrete actions that contribute to achieving these goals. |
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By integrating the SDGs into their design, participatory science projects ensure a coherent approach aligned with the major environmental, social, and economic challenges of today.
Some SDGs are cross-cutting across all projects, notably SDG 4 (“Quality Education”), which is the cornerstone of participatory approaches. Indeed, each project aims not only to produce scientific knowledge but also to transmit understanding and develop skills among participants, enabling them to become agents of change.
Other SDGs are specific to the themes addressed in each project. For example:
SDG 6 (“Clean Water and Sanitation”) for initiatives focused on water quality and access,
SDG 13 (“Climate Action”) for projects analyzing environmental impacts and adaptation strategies,
SDG 14 (“Life Below Water”) and SDG 15 (“Life on Land”) for projects dedicated to the preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity.
Participatory Science can be mobilized through two complementary approaches related to the SDGs:
Projects that raise awareness of the SDGs: These help participants understand the issues associated with a specific SDG by highlighting its challenges and possible levers for action (e.g.: studying plastic pollution to raise awareness of SDG 14).
Projects that contribute to solving SDGs: These initiatives take an active approach by producing usable data or proposing concrete actions to address a specific issue (e.g.: mapping water resources to improve their management and accessibility in a given region).
| Integrating SDGs into participatory science strengthens participant engagement by allowing them to contribute directly to global challenges while acting at the local level. When individuals are involved in solving a concrete problem that affects them or their community, their learning is deepened, and their engagement becomes part of a long-term dynamic. By combining education, research, and action, participatory science becomes a powerful lever to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and equitable world. |
The Locations and Implementation Environments
| The choice of location for a participatory science project influences not only its logistical feasibility but also its scientific and educational relevance. Each environment offers specific conditions for observation, research, and experimentation, which must be considered from the project’s conception. |
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The environments of intervention can be extremely varied, ranging from indoor settings (classrooms, laboratories, homes, residential centers) to outdoor ones (forests, oceans, mountains, urban areas). Some projects require access to specific natural areas (e.g.: coral reefs, glaciers, nature reserves), while others can be conducted in everyday settings (e.g.: monitoring urban biodiversity or observing in one’s garden).
The conditions of observation and implementation also shape the participants’ experience:
Temporality: data observation and collection during the day or at night, seasonality, and climatic phenomena (e.g.: monitoring bird migration in autumn, measuring snowmelt in spring).
Accessibility and logistical constraints: some activities require specific equipment or special arrangements to be feasible in remote or hard-to-reach areas.
Interaction with the environment: it is essential to adopt an ethical approach to minimize the impact of scientific activities on the studied ecosystems (e.g.: avoiding disturbance to wildlife, favoring practices that respect natural habitats).
The logistical and environmental approach is a cross-cutting concern that must be integrated from the planning stage. Several parameters need to be assessed:
Carbon footprint and mobility: prioritize projects accessible via low-impact or shared transportation, limit unnecessary travel, and offset emissions when possible.
Ecological impact of interventions: ensure that the use of materials, sampling, or observations does not disrupt the balance of the studied environments.
Accessibility and inclusion: design projects that take into account participants’ needs (e.g.: people with reduced mobility, young children, individuals in precarious situations).
| Integrating environmental and ethical factors into the choice of location enriches the participants’ experience while ensuring that participatory science remains aligned with a sustainable and responsible approach. A good balance between practical constraints, scientific interest, and ecological impact ensures the relevance and success of the project. |
| Through the exploration of formats, audiences, objectives, types of activities, relevant SDGs, and implementation environments, we have identified the essential components for the design and success of these projects. These elements are, however, only part of the broader framework of participatory science, which also relies on aspects such as governance, funding, and impact measurement. The key lies in a coherent approach, where each project is designed according to its objectives, its audience, and its context, while promoting an inclusive and sustainable process. By integrating these principles, we can design relevant, engaging, and transformative initiatives, where each participant becomes an actor in knowledge creation and the transition toward a more enlightened and responsible world. |
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Integrating These "Components" into the Design of a Participatory Science Project
| Participatory Science projects involve various stakeholders and aim to produce scientific data while generating educational, environmental, and social impact. This article presents a complementary framework to existing content by exploring often overlooked dimensions such as theoretical foundations, project sizing methodology, ethics, financial aspects, and the integration of digital tools and gamification. Practical exercises then invite students to apply these concepts in the design of innovative projects. |
Participatory Science enables the general public to engage in the process of scientific knowledge production. Beyond operational aspects (formats, audiences, objectives, types of activities, SDGs, and locations already described), it is essential to consider other complementary dimensions. The goal here is to provide an in-depth perspective on the theoretical and methodological framework that ensures the quality, sustainability, and overall impact of projects—particularly by incorporating issues of ethics, funding, and the use of digital technologies to foster participant engagement.
Theoretical Framework and Literature Review
| The work of Bonney et al. (2009) and Haklay (2013) emphasizes that the success of Participatory Science projects relies on strong theoretical foundations. |
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Epistemological and pedagogical foundations: Citizen involvement goes beyond simple data collection; it also promotes the democratization of science and learning through experience.
Data interactions and validation: The co-construction of knowledge requires critical analysis of data collection methods and interpretation of results, ensuring scientific rigor.
These studies highlight the need to go beyond traditional frameworks by addressing cross-cutting aspects that ensure the harmonious integration of all issues.
Project Sizing Methodology
To design a relevant Participatory Science project, several complementary steps—absent from the reference text—should be followed:
1. Context Analysis
Assess the local context, the specific needs of target audiences, and the technical and regulatory constraints.
2. Definition of an Operational Framework
Identify the intervention areas by incorporating not only scientific and educational objectives but also dimensions such as ethics and financial viability.
3. Planning and Organization
Define a timeline, allocate roles among the various stakeholders, and establish monitoring and continuous evaluation methods for the project.
4. Implementation of a Support System
Ensure appropriate supervision to guarantee participant safety, data collection quality, and sustained engagement.
Ethics, Safety, and Regulation
Although the reference text mentions certain logistical constraints, it does not detail ethical and regulatory dimensions. Here, it is important to emphasize:
Respect for participants and the environment: Protocols must include strict rules to protect participants (especially vulnerable groups) and minimize the impact on studied ecosystems.
Regulatory framework: Compliance with institutional and legal standards (in schools or during field activities) is essential to guarantee the project’s safety and longevity.
Financial Dimension and Sustainability
Beyond the occasional funding mentioned in the other text, the financial dimension includes:
Innovative funding models: Public grants, private partnerships, and participatory financing (crowdfunding) should be considered to ensure the continuity of actions beyond initial phases.
Sustainable economic integration: Establishing self-financing mechanisms (data valorization, local partnerships) helps sustain the project and increase its long-term impact.
Digital Tools and Gamification: Digital technologies and gamification represent complementary levers not detailed in the reference text:
Digital tools: Use of mobile apps, sensors, and collaborative platforms to facilitate real-time data collection and analysis.
Gamification: Integrating game-based mechanisms (challenges, rewards, point systems) can boost engagement and active citizen participation, turning data collection into a fun and motivating experience.
| The complementary approaches presented here enhance the sizing of a Participatory Science project by providing a more comprehensive framework. Considering ethical, financial, and digital dimensions enriches the initial design, ensuring better alignment with contemporary challenges and long-term participant involvement. These dimensions also help overcome certain challenges such as actor coordination and project sustainability, while promoting pedagogical innovation. |
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The success of a Participatory Science project depends on the integration of multiple dimensions. In addition to classical components (formats, audiences, objectives, activities, SDGs, and locations), it is crucial to address complementary aspects such as theoretical framework, project sizing methodology, ethics, funding, and the use of digital tools and gamification. This holistic framework ensures not only the scientific and pedagogical quality of the project but also its relevance and sustainability in an ever-evolving context.
Practical Exercises
Exercise 1: Establishing a Sizing Framework
Objective: Design a complete protocol integrating ethical, financial, and digital dimensions.
Instructions:
1. Write an analysis of the local context and identify specific constraints.
2. Propose an activity timeline incorporating safety and monitoring measures.
3. Explain how you will integrate digital tools and gamification mechanisms to foster engagement.
Exercise 2: Developing a Sustainable Funding Plan
Objective: Create an economic model to ensure the long-term viability of a Participatory Science project.
Instructions:
1. Identify potential funding sources (grants, partnerships, crowdfunding).
2. Propose strategies to move from one-time funding to a self-financing model.
3. Write a brief report presenting your funding plan and its benefits.
Exercise 3: Ethical and Regulatory Analysis
Objective: Develop an ethical and regulatory framework for a field project.
Instructions:
1. Detail the measures to be implemented to ensure participant safety.
2. Identify the standards and regulations applicable to your project.
3. Propose solutions to reconcile citizen engagement with legal requirements.
