Impacts

Mumelas & Martek (2024)'s literature review of citizen science studies found the following benefits from citizen science:

Benefits for Society

• Instigates societal, cultural, and technological transformations by emphasizing transparency in the processes of designing, conducting, documenting, and evaluating research

• May expedite the research cycle

• Facilitates and encourages widespread participation in science and scientific research

• Participants gain new scientific skills

• Harnesses the collective power of individuals from diverse backgrounds

• Researchers feel closer to the public

• Fosters a sense of shared responsibility and engagement in scientific discovery

• Promotes a deeper understanding of complex issues and encourages collaboration between citizens and professional scientists, ultimately benefiting society as a whole

• Connects scientific subjects with people’s daily experiences, transforming them into inquiries that relate to their everyday life

• High quality citizen science data contributes valuable information to scientific outcomes

• Enhances the relevance and practicality of results across various fields

• May generate outcomes that significantly impact the lives of those at the core of the research

• Contributes to improved research both technically, by considering a broader range of factors, and ethically, as it promotes greater equity

• Citizen scientists gain social engagement, interaction, improvements in knowledge, skills, and attitudes, as well as changes in behaviors…greater employability, stress reduction, formation of new relationships and communities, social learning, and better understanding of the scientific process

• Benefits of citizen science for scientists [include] increased research capacity, newly acquired data and information, more innovative research, and more societally relevant research 

Benefits for Research Libraries

• Links researchers with citizen scientists. The library serves as a channel for citizen science initiatives and functions as an intellectual center—a space for both accessing scientific knowledge and actively participating in scientific pursuits

• Citizen science influences scientific communication and encourages the publication of research results in open access

• Encourages the development of new competencies and professional advancement. A lot of research librarians already possess the skills necessary for integrating citizen science, which they can further enhance

• Supports the educational and societal goals of universities by nurturing interest and active participation in science across various demographics, especially among teachers and students, through their involvement in research projects

• Reinforces the connection between universities and society by directly engaging citizens in research that holds significant implications for their local environments

• Encourages collaboration with a diverse array of stakeholders who can provide valuable insights, suggestions, and ideas to improve existing research activities 

• The utilization of non-anonymized data from consenting citizen scientists can play a pivotal role in exploring new research inquiries

• Promotes outreach to new communities 

• Establishes collaborative networks and partnerships to foster connections within and outside an institution

Mumelas, Dolores, and Martek,Alisa. "Benefits of Citizen Science for Libraries." Publications, vol. 12, no. 1, Mar. 2024, p. NA. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A788253139/AONE?u=nysl_li_scls&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=b9f150e0.