OECD Xenotransplantation Policies and Public Participation

from the Table of Contents: Introduction; The OECD as an Organization; OECD Xenotransplantation Policies; Actors; Social Practices; Conclusions; Annexes

Citizen science’s transformative impact on science, citizen empowerment and socio-political processes

Citizen science (CS) can foster transformative impact for science, citizen empowerment and socio-political processes. To unleash this impact, a clearer understanding of its current status and challenges for its development is needed. Using quantitative indicators developed in a collaborative stakeholder process, our study provides a comprehensive overview of the current status of CS in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Our online survey with 340 responses focused on CS impact through (1) scientific practices, (2) participant learning and empowerment, and (3) socio-political processes. With regard to scientific impact, we found that data quality control is an established component of CS practice, while publication of CS data and results has not yet been achieved by all project coordinators (55%). Key benefits for citizen scientists were the experience of collective impact (“making a difference together with others”) as well as gaining new knowledge. For the citizen scientists’ learning outcomes, different forms of social learning, such as systematic feedback or personal mentoring, were essential. While the majority of respondents attributed an important value to CS for decision-making, only few were confident that CS data were indeed utilized as evidence by decision-makers. Based on these results, we recommend (1) that project coordinators and researchers strengthen scientific impact by fostering data management and publications, (2) that project coordinators and citizen scientists enhance participant impact by promoting social learning opportunities and (3) that project initiators and CS networks foster socio-political impact through early engagement with decision-makers and alignment with ongoing policy processes. In this way, CS can evolve its transformative impact

The contributions of citizen science to SDG monitoring and reporting on marine plastics

The accumulation of plastic litter in marine environments is a major environmental challenge along with the difficulties in their measurement because of the massive size of the oceans and vast circulation of plastic litter, which is being addressed as part of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Citizen science, public participation in scientific research and knowledge production, represents a potential source of data for SDG monitoring and reporting of marine plastic litter, yet there has been no evidence of its use to date. Here, we show how Ghana has become the first country to integrate existing citizen science data on marine plastic litter in their official monitoring and reporting of SDG indicator 14.1.1b for the years 2016–2020, which has also helped to bridge local data collection efforts with global monitoring processes and policy agendas by leveraging the SDG framework. The results have been used in Ghana’s 2022 Voluntary National Review of the SDGs, and reported on the UN SDG Global Database, as well as helping to inform relevant policies in Ghana. In addition, here, we present a pathway that can be adopted by the relevant government authorities in other countries that have an interest in following a similar citizen science data validation and reporting process for this indicator and potentially others

Strengthening capacity and connectivity among research councils : background report for the 6th annual Global Research Council Meeting

This report incorporates insight from the 6th Annual Meeting of the Global Research Council (GRC), as well as survey data, and suggested directions aimed at strengthening the capacity and connectivity of research councils. While structural reforms tend to build on institutional legacies, new structures and programmatic directions create a demand for peer support and learning. It is timely to take stock of current efforts, priorities and approaches of research councils old and new, and identify areas for future collaboration. The GRC principle of pursuing shared objectives and voluntary collaboration remains the cornerstone from which new actions are to be developed

Finding What You Need: A Guide to Citizen Science Guidelines

In line with the growth in citizen science projects and participants, there are an increasing number of guidelines on different aspects of citizen science (e.g. specific concepts and methodologies; data management; and project implementation) pitched at different levels of experience and expertise. However, it is not always easy for practitioners to know which is the most suitable guideline for their needs. This chapter presents a general classification of guidelines, illustrating and analysing examples of each type. Drawing on the EU-Citizen.Science project, we outline criteria for categorising guidelines to enable users to find the right one and to ensure that guidelines reach their intended audience. We discuss challenges and weaknesses around the use and creation of guidelines and, as a practical conclusion, provide a set of recommendations to consider when creating guidelines

D4.2 Policy Briefs 2

The second batch of DITOs policy briefs focuses on four themes: Brief 1 - Environmental sustainability: This brief follows up the policy brief #1 on BioBlitzes and focuses on the pilot study conducted to develop a common evaluation framework for the City Nature Challenge (CNC) 2018 in Europe. Brief 2 - Biodesign: This brief follows up the policy brief #1 on Do It Yourself Biotechnology (DIYBio). It assesses the potential and challenges of biodesign citizen science for education and how it can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Brief 3 - RRI indicators that reflect the practices of public engagement organisations: This third brief on the overarching topic of RRI is focussed on enriching the conversation and applications of RRI frameworks, in particular how they can move from being used as tools for assessment by funders and evaluators to being useful guidelines for personal and organisational learning and development. The brief presents results from in-depth conversations with facilitators and insights from reviewing RRI indicators in a way that reflects their practices. Brief 4 - RRI - linking Citizen Science and Open Science: This second policy brief on the topic of RRI is focussed on relations between Citizen Science and Open Science. It draws on initiatives implemented in Europe to identify synergies and future areas of work. In response to request from the mid-term project review for more evidence on inclusion impacts of the project, we have decided to diversify the types of policy briefs we will produce. In addition to ‘classic’ policy briefs aimed at giving an introduction and overview of a given topic (Brief 2 and 4) we now also offer ‘Research Insights’ that are based on gathering more thorough evidence from within the project and providing it to decision-makers (Brief 1 and 3). Like the first batch of briefs, a community-oriented approach was chosen for defining the specific topics of each brief and elaborating the content. Brief 1 has been developed by the ECSA working group on BioBlitzes, Brief 2 in cooperation with the in ECSA working group on Citizen Science for Learning and Education. Brief 3 draws on collaborative evaluation work within the DITOs consortium. Brief 4 was created together with the ECSA working group on Citizen Science and Open Science. The timeline of each policy brief has been adapted to be responsive to schedules of contributors, political dynamics and external demands. Brief 4 was already launched in February 2018. Brief 3 is finished and will be designed and published in the next weeks. Brief 1 and 2 are presented as an advanced draft version. Their final review will be conducted in workshops with the respective working groups and external experts at the International ECSA Conference in Geneva next week. This deliverable concludes the successful second stage of WP4 facilitating policy engagement for RRI. The final batch of policy briefs (M36) will further expand this work on biodesign, environmental sustainability and additional aspects of RRI. DITOs ‘Policy Briefs 2’ is Deliverable 4.2 (D4.2) from the coordination and support action (CSA) Doing It Together science (DITOs), grant agreement 709443

Data Quality in Citizen Science

This chapter discusses the broad and complex topic of data quality in citizen science – a contested arena because different projects and stakeholders aspire to different levels of data accuracy. In this chapter, we consider how we ensure the validity and reliability of data generated by citizen scientists and citizen science projects. We show that this is an essential methodological question that has emerged within a highly contested field in recent years. Data quality means different things to different stakeholders. This is no surprise as quality is always a broad spectrum, and nearly 200 terms are in use to describe it, regardless of the approach. We seek to deliver a high-level overview of the main themes and issues in data quality in citizen science, mechanisms to ensure and improve quality, and some conclusions on best practice and ways forwards. We encourage citizen science projects to share insights on their data practice failures. Finally, we show how data quality assurance gives credibility, reputation, and sustainability to citizen science projects

fteval JOURNAL for Research and Technology Policy Evaluation (54). Special Issue: Participatory Evaluation and Impact Assessment in Citizen Science

Sonderausgabe zu partizipativen Methoden in der Evaluierung und Wirkungsmessung von Bürger:innenwissenschafte