What is it about?
Citizen science involves members of the public actively contributing to research. This qualitative evidence synthesis explored how children and young people experience participation in citizen science projects. By reviewing 33 studies, the researchers identified three interconnected themes: relationships, power and personal growth, alongside communication, self-efficacy and decision-making. The review shows that participation can help young people develop new skills, build confidence, strengthen relationships and become more involved in decisions that affect them.
Featured Image
Photo by Aedrian Salazar on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Children and young people are often the subjects of research but have fewer opportunities to shape research themselves. Understanding their experiences of participation is important because positive experiences can improve engagement, motivation and retention in research projects. The review also demonstrates that participation can benefit young people personally by supporting learning, communication skills, confidence and social connections. These findings can help researchers design projects that are more meaningful, inclusive and rewarding for young participants.
Perspectives
The review suggests that effective citizen science is about more than collecting data. When children and young people are genuinely involved, participation can foster confidence, create opportunities for personal growth and strengthen relationships with researchers, peers and wider communities. The findings reinforce the value of approaches that view young people as active contributors to knowledge rather than passive research participants. By creating opportunities for meaningful involvement and shared decision-making, researchers can strengthen both the quality of research and the experiences of the children and young people involved.
Prof Michael J Tatterton
University of Bradford
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Exploring children and young people’s experience of participating in citizen science–A qualitative evidence synthesis, PLOS One, July 2024, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304976.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
