CS Co-labs: Collaborative Citizen Science labs

Citizen science and adjacent participatory methods are increasingly encouraged by funders and important for producing meaningful and trusted knowledge. These approaches help ensure that research reflects the needs and experiences of communities. They are used widely in research across the University of York and are central to SEI’s work on environmental and social sustainability. 

Although interest in these methods is growing, researchers can find them difficult to use in practice. It can be challenging to design a project that is both inclusive and scientifically rigorous, and work with participants ethically and with sensitivity, especially within the constraints of research funding.

CS Co-labs has been set up to respond to this challenge by creating a shared space for those using, or interested in using, citizen science methods to access support, learn from experience and explore new approaches. It is run by Inclusive Citizen Science, the citizen science research group at SEI York, which has been using, evaluating and developing citizen science methodologies since 2008.

We aim to strengthen capacity, particularly across the University of York and SEI, to deliver high quality, inclusive, and robust citizen science and adjacent participatory approaches.

We will do by offering:

1. 'Clinics’: to help colleagues develop proposals, refine project plans, solve mid-project problems, and support evaluation methods. The clinics will serve as a practical entry point for colleagues who would like support in using citizen science methods but need advice on where to begin, with more detailed support to be provided on a bespoke basis.
2. Discussion sessions: topic-based sessions sharing our experiences with different aspects of citizen science, inviting reflections from participants, and facilitating discussion for collective learning.
3. Resources: a set of open-access, accessible resources which we will develop during the project based on team members’ expertise and drawing on recurring questions, examples, and insights gathered through the clinic sessions. 

We will also set up an advisory board composed of citizen science participants, to oversee the project and ensure what we do is relevant and appropriate.