The wave of open science continues to grow and makes science and research accessible to all segments of society. People who are interested in helping to solve some of the world's problems now have the opportunity to get involved in scientific research, both in collecting and using data. This democratisation of science benefits both society and the environment by increasing scientific literacy and awareness of societal issues.

What is open science?

According to UNESCO, "Open science is a set of principles and practices aimed at making scientific research in all fields accessible to all for the benefit of scientists and society as a whole." Open science encompasses practices such as open and immediate publication, sharing of data and code, wider dissemination of research results, and closer collaboration at all levels.

 Open science encompasses both upstream and downstream connections between scientific researchers and interested citizens and their communities. The traditional research model is an example of a top-down approach, where trained scientists conduct research and disseminate their findings through publication in journals. The global trend towards open access in science highlights a bottom-up model, in which research originates in the community from citizens who may or may not be trained scientists.

What is citizen science?

Citizen science is a bottom-up approach to research that emphasises collaboration and is led by community members. The Association of Science and Technology Centres (ASTC) is one of many organisations working to promote citizen science. As stated on their website, "Through citizen science, community members collaborate to conduct and use scientific research and technological innovation to advance community priorities and benefit from the knowledge and advances in science and technology, often in collaboration with scientists and practitioners engaged in scientific endeavours."

Although the term "public science" is often used interchangeably with "citizen science", some publications distinguish between the two. For example, GVI, which offers conservation programmes, believes that the difference lies in the levels of engagement and leadership. "Citizen science relies heavily on the participation of non-specialists, usually offering minimal training or guidance. In contrast, citizen science relies on experts and specialists to provide guidance and assistance during data collection and analysis. Citizen science projects can often reach a broader population and attract more public attention, while community science projects tend to be more specialised."

Whatever the name of these research projects, they provide almost limitless opportunities for non-specialists to engage with issues in their communities and the world. This involvement can lead not only to the development of future scientists, but also to increased scientific literacy for all.

Examples of public initiatives in the field of open science
Community science and citizen science projects are spreading all over the world. Below are a few examples of many recent citizen science initiatives:

• In Aso-Kuju National Park in Japan, invasive plants are negatively impacting the park's biodiversity. To address this problem, a researcher worked with local stakeholders to collect geospatial data on plant species. Using this information, a management plan was created to reduce the impact of the plants. The results of the initiative, along with the data, were published in a scientific journal. This project was made possible by the collaboration of non-expert participants with expert researchers.
• Another environmental monitoring project, the Public Lab, operated under the auspices of ASTC, was established in response to the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. According to their website, "The Public Lab launched an open source platform to collect data and maps of shoreline change over time. This effort has since evolved into a robust community-driven environmental monitoring and assessment programme."
• Ottawa Riverkeeper, a charity dedicated to protecting the ecological health of the Ottawa River in Canada, is involved in several studies of the river's watershed. In some of these projects, volunteers help "collect data from a much wider area of the watershed than we could have done on our own."
• The Singapore government sponsors numerous opportunities for citizens to participate in scientific research, which is published on the national park's website. For example, one of these studies involves an intensive field survey to document the diversity of the park's flora and fauna, in which the public is invited to participate in collaboration with expert naturalists.
• In South Africa, citizens were invited to join the "Snorkel for Science" initiative, which attracted more than 1,000 scuba divers last year. These citizen scientists joined a marine biologist on a snorkelling trip to document the benthic shark range in the area. The photographs of the sharks are used to monitor the animal population and the health of their environment.
• Citizen science initiatives are also being introduced into education, where most programmes have traditionally used top-down approaches. In Chile, a study was conducted that used top-down approaches to engage students in educational institutions. These citizen science investigations were based on student interests and designed by students in collaboration with teachers and researchers. The results of the study showed that this approach produces high-quality research and contributes to the development of scientific skills and learning of participating students.
• The European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) was established in 2013 "to encourage the development of citizen science in Europe and to support the participation of the general public in research processes - in the natural, social, humanities and arts sciences". The organisation studies the impact of citizen science on research and capacity building, and sponsors and coordinates citizen science projects, such as the following example.
• COMPIR, a programme within ECSA, focuses on local air quality across Europe. Participating citizens, even those without a science background, are "invited to analyse data and use it to co-create new climate-friendly behaviours and policies for sustainable development both at home and across the continent, with the aim of improving air quality for all". This project involves 15 different organisations from six different European countries.
• As you can see from these few examples, there are many opportunities for citizens to engage in research aimed at investigating issues that affect their communities. In addition to improving lives and the environment at the local level, these projects expand scientific literacy and encourage further involvement in research.

Source: https://entc.com.ua/uk/1982-pryklady-hromadskykh-initsiatyv-vidkrytoi-nauky