Short Abstract

Drawing on the Horizon projects INCENTIVE and PRUDENT, this presentation introduces a participatory, non-intrusive framework for evaluating Citizen Science Hubs, showing how institutions can assess inclusiveness and impact while empowering citizens as active contributors.

Abstract

This presentation draws on findings from the Horizon projects INCENTIVE and PRUDENT. In INCENTIVE, a comprehensive methodology was developed to assess the impact of Citizen Science (CS) hubs and their activities. The project designed a reflexive, participatory evaluation framework that measures social, institutional, and democratic outcomes while minimising the burden on participants. Data for the evaluation were gathered from multiple actors—including researchers and hub administrators—to avoid requiring excessive data from citizens, which could make them feel under observation. Also, particular attention was given to marginalised communities through dedicated indicators (e.g., those that measure safe, empowering participation). The resulting framework combined quantitative indicators, stakeholder interviews, and comparative benchmarking against global CS trends.

The knowledge and insights gained in INCENTIVE informed PRUDENT in developing effective, participatory, inclusive, and scalable experiments. There, the focus shifted to farmers and foresters, groups that often face marginalisation in remote rural areas. Farmers and foresters co-designed research questions and methodologies for laboratory and field experiments to test behavioural nudges aimed at promoting more environmentally sustainable farming practices.

The evaluation of impact in these projects revealed valuable insights into gender equality, open science, and public engagement, while highlighting persistent barriers such as limited incentives for researchers and unequal citizen access to science. The presentation will discuss how impact can be meaningfully captured without reducing citizens to research subjects, but instead empowering them to sustain their engagement in CS. It will conclude with recommendations for developing inclusive, participatory, and transferable evaluation frameworks for universities and CS ecosystems.