Short Abstract

This workshop explores how citizen science evolves across diverse cultural, geographic, and institutional contexts. Drawing on experiences from non-WEIRD and peripheral settings, it examines ethical tensions, structural barriers, and creative adaptations that invite reflection on and reimagining of the ECSA 10 Principles.

Description

Citizen science is widely recognised for its potential to democratise knowledge production; yet its principles, practices, and infrastructures are still largely shaped by Western, high-income, and institutionally central contexts. This roundtable brings together researchers and practitioners working across diverse and peripheral settings – including non-WEIRD, low- and middle-income, rural, and under-resourced regions – to reflect on how citizen science is negotiated, adapted, and transformed in these realities.

We will explore critical questions: How do citizen science initiatives align with local communities’ needs and ways of knowing? How can extractive or colonial dynamics be avoided? What does it mean to implement the ECSA 10 principles in contexts marked by resource constraints, institutional fragility, and asymmetrical recognition or funding? How do peripheral stakeholders navigate legitimacy, visibility, and long-term sustainability?

This roundtable will highlight examples of citizen science across diverse settings — from rural areas with limited resources to urban communities facing marginalization. By discussing both successes and challenges, participants will explore how citizen science can adapt to local cultural, social, and geographic realities. These insights will generate collective ideas on how to rethink traditional approaches, reshaping both principles and practices to create more inclusive, context-sensitive, and equitable citizen science initiatives.