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Short Abstract

Citizen science can democratize research assessment by co-creating value indicators that reflect social priorities, making evaluation in fields like telecommunications and biosensing more inclusive and legitimate.

Abstract

Citizen science holds considerable promise for the democratisation of research assessment by collaboratively developing value indicators that capture a broad spectrum of social priorities, thereby fostering more inclusive and legitimate evaluation processes in innovation sectors such as telecommunications and biosensing. Traditional assessment frameworks often emphasise expert-defined technical metrics, frequently overlooking the lived experiences and needs of affected communities, which compromises the relevance and equity of evaluation outcomes.

As innovation in technological areas advances, there is a growing imperative to adopt evaluation frameworks that transcend conventional technical benchmarks to incorporate social relevance and ethical responsibility. Nevertheless, these assessments typically rely on expert-driven metrics, such as Key Value Indicators (KVIs), that may marginalise community perspectives. Citizen science introduces a transformative approach by positioning citizens as active partners who contribute scientific, experiential, and local knowledge to the co-creation of KVIs. This participatory model shifts research evaluation away from purely technocratic paradigms towards processes that are reflexive, socially embedded, and attentive to dimensions such as fairness, trust, governance, and cultural context.

Implementing citizen science methodologies within these technologically complex domains entails challenges, including addressing power imbalances, overcoming disparities in access and technical literacy, and translating diverse social values into robust, measurable indicators. However, practical examples from 6G telecommunications and biosensing projects illustrate effective strategies for harmonising inclusivity with sound methodological standards. By adopting these participatory frameworks, citizen science substantially reinforces the legitimacy, inclusiveness, and societal responsiveness of research assessment, ensuring that innovation aligns with and serves the broader public interest.