Rathenau calls for meaningful public involvement in science

A standardised way for citizens to collaborate with scientists would improve things, says report

A report from the Rathenau Institute has concluded that a more deliberate and structured approach is needed for all parties—researchers and the public alike—to get the most out of citizen participation in research. The institute investigated the current state of collaboration between citizens and research institutions, examining how the process works and how it could be improved.

One of the main findings was that the vocabulary and jargon of citizen participation in science is perplexing. Terms such as “public engagement”, “citizen science” and “science communication” are often used interchangeably, leading to different interpretations and expectancies. “This is more than a play on words. Behind these terms are different views on what meaningful citizen involvement in research and innovation actually is,” reads the paper. This leads to confusion and mismatched expectations between scientists and the wider world, according to the report.