Short Abstract

This hands-on workshop introduces key frameworks from the new book How and When to Involve Crowds in Scientific Research and applies them through collaborative exercises. Participants leave with tangible design canvases and new perspectives on organizing crowd and citizen science projects.

Description

This interactive workshop draws on structured tools and social science-based frameworks presented in Poetz and Sauermann’s new book to help design citizen and crowd science projects that are not only scientifically robust, but also scalable, inclusive, and societally impactful.

Participants will first be introduced to key conceptual tools, including the AKRD Contribution Matrix, the Five Crowd Science Paradigms, and the Crowd Science Design Canvas.The core of the session will involve small-group exercises in which participants apply these tools to real or hypothetical projects. Groups may choose to analyze existing projects - e.g., from their own research practice or from public platforms - or develop designs for new initiatives. The exercises help surface critical design decisions and trade-offs, from selecting the “right” crowd of citizens to defining contribution types and managing coordination challenges. Emphasis is placed on using concepts from organization and management research to understand the benefits and costs of crowd involvement, and to identify organizational strategies that improve effectiveness.

Each participant will leave with at least one completed design canvas - an actionable output - and with new analytical lenses to apply in their work. This workshop will benefit both newcomers and experienced practitioners, offering conceptual clarity and hands-on practice in analyzing and designing citizen science projects.

A format of 2x105 minutes would be ideal. We will need a projector to present some slides, and tables where participants can work on their projects (we will bring paper templates, pens, etc.). The maximum number of participants is approx. 30.