Little did Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and other ‘gentlemen scientists’ know, when they were making their scientific discoveries, that centuries later they would inspire a new field of scientific practice, research and innovation called citizen science. Citizen science can be defined in lay terms as ‘scientific work undertaken by members of the general pu…
Citizen science is a rapidly growing field with expanding legitimacy. Often seen as a cluster of activities under a larger umbrella of concepts, including ‘open science’ and ‘open innovation’, citizen science expands public participation in science and supports alternative models of knowledge production. This includes strengthening scientific research by engaging with a variety …