Exploring Citizen Science

The show must go on

In the last episode of this first season of Exploring Citizen Science, Alexander wraps up the content of the project. But more importantly, he tries to answer the questions he set out originally, in episode 1. So: can citizen science help restore trust in experts in our societies? What is the "responsibility" of scientists themselves in this process and does citizen science change their perspective? How can we - meaning institutions, but maybe anyone - help citizen science grow as a practice?

Resources

The COESO website: https://coeso.hypotheses.org/

The VERA platform: https://vera.operas-eu.org/

Credits

On Planet European Commission

In the previous episodes of Exploring Citizen Science, Alexander analysed what citizen science is from a theoretical stand-point. Also, he looked at projects on the ground. Eventually, he tried to understand the long-term legacy COESO could bear for the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH). But as the first series of Exploring Citizen Science is coming closer to its end, he now wonders about the reasons why all of this - COESO and the focus on citizen science in SSH - is happening right now. And, most importantly, who is behind it. In this episode, Alexander uncovers the investment strategy of the European Commission into citizen science.

Resources

The COESO website: https://coeso.hypotheses.org/

The VERA platform: https://vera.operas-eu.org/

Credits

Too good to be VERA

After having explored an array of citizen science projects in the field of humanities and social sciences, Alexander wonders what will stay after COESO. So he goes on the trails of VERA: an online platform with the aim of enabling a collaborative build-up of citizen science in and with social sciences and the humanities projects. VERA was build in the context of COESO and should embody the project's long-term legacy.

Resources

The COESO website: https://coeso.hypotheses.org/

The VERA platform: https://vera.operas-eu.org/

Credits

Lunch boxes, videogames and more

After the "Lisbon experience", Alexander goes on to talk to researchers and project managers of other pilot projects of COESO. The interviews he runs reveal the wide scope citizen-science can achieve.

Resources

The COESO website: https://coeso.hypotheses.org/

The VERA platform: https://vera.operas-eu.org/

Credits

In Lisbon - part 2: Citizen Science hands-on

The first conversations collected by Alexander's colleagues on the overall logic of COESO's pilot 1 - "Mass tourism's impact on urban communities" - left him wonder how citizens perceived the project. In this part 2 of the Lisbon chapter, citizens who took part in citizen science activities share their views on tourism and citizen science practices. Was the pilot a success story?

Resources

The COESO website: https://coeso.hypotheses.org/

Sao José - A transmedia ethnography of tourism in Lisbon: https://saojose.huma-num.fr/

The VERA platform: https://vera.operas-eu.org/

Credits

In Lisbon - part 1: Easier said than done

After much conversations from remote, it's time to go on the ground and discover practices of citizen science. Alexander's colleagues, Jeremy Bocquet (creative director and sound engineer) and Claudia Torrisi (freelance collaborator) fly to Lisbon and interview researchers and activists involved n pilot 1 of the COESO project: "Mass tourism's impact on urban communities".

Resources

The COESO website: https://coeso.hypotheses.org/

The VERA platform: https://vera.operas-eu.org/

Credits

About pilots and blank stares

After having better understood what citizen science is and why it matters in theory, Alexander continues his chat with people from COESO to understand how the project is structured and what its aims are. He talks to Kelly Achenbach, Head of communications at COESO and Alessia Smaniotto.

Resources

The COESO website: https://coeso.hypotheses.org/

The VERA platform: https://vera.operas-eu.org/

Credits

Entering the rabbit hole

Puzzled by the relevance of citizen science, Alexander calls Alessia Smaniotto - research project manager of COESO. They talk about Alessia’s job and, more generally, about Philosophy of science. Therefore citizen science and COESO. Alessia answers the questions the first episode ends with.

Resources

The COESO website: https://coeso.hypotheses.org/

The VERA platform: https://vera.operas-eu.org/

Credits

The ivory tower

Alexander introduces himself and explains why his name is on the podcast: he shares the widespread criticism of academia and scientists through the "ivory tower" metaphor, to which he can relate to based on previous experiences in significant research projects. He argues about how the topic is relevant, sharing news items from political speeches and rhetoric, i.e. anti-elitism and "anti-scientism". Therefore, he outlines the critical mission of COESO as well as starts asking questions about the latter: what is citizen science? And why does it matter today in our societies? Can it have an impact on the way we understand our world?

Resources

The COESO website: https://coeso.hypotheses.org/

The VERA platform: https://vera.operas-eu.org/

Credits

Trailer

Resources

The COESO website: https://coeso.hypotheses.org/

The VERA platform: https://vera.operas-eu.org/

Credits