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Poster Short Abstract

Using the dimensions of engagement, we evaluate the engagement strategies used by citizen science projects in Brazil from conversations with project leaders. Results show engagement strategies vary not only by type and theme, but also by local context, public audience and participation format.

Poster Abstract

Sustaining and evaluating volunteer engagement is a central challenge for any participatory science initiative (Carvalho & Leite, 2020). While quantitative methods are commonly employed to assess participation, they often overlook the complex dimensions of volunteer engagement. Few studies have investigated these dimensions (Marques et al., 2024; Hart et al., 2022; Phillips et al., 2018), and, to date, no studies have examined them within the cultural contexts of Global South or Latin America.

This study explores volunteer engagement strategies in Brazilian citizen science initiatives of different typologies. Qualitative data were collected through the “Dialogue Cycles” organized by the Participant-Engagement Working Group of the Brazilian Citizen Science Network. Each of six sessions featured two project coordinators presenting their engagement practices (30–50 minutes), followed by an open discussion (20 minutes). In total, 12 projects were analyzed, covering themes including biodiversity, fauna, disasters, coastal environments, food safety, and health.

Recordings were transcribed and qualitatively analyzed using Atlas.ti and the engagement dimensions framework proposed by Phillips et al. (2019). Preliminary findings indicate that contributive projects accounted for most “extrinsic motivation” codes (n=57), with all gamification strategies (n=7) occurring within this typology. Another initiative, ‘SISS Geo’ was observed to have one of the highest number of codes on engagement strategies (n= 32), as it showed the importance of adapting app features such as touch sensitivity to insure the app could be handled by any user all across Brazil, including rural workers with calloused hands. Another project, ‘Cocôzap’ highlighted how local context influenced the strategies used by adopting an already well-established communication app to collect citizen science data. These results highlight that engagement in citizen science is shaped not only by project typology but also by social and cultural contexts it is inserted in. Recognizing these factors is essential for designing inclusive and sustainable citizen science initiatives.