International Conference on Citizen Science and Participatory Methods was held at the Library and Knowledge Center of the University of Pécs
On December 2–3, 2024, the Research Center for Contemporary Challenges at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Pécs, organised Hungary's first conference dedicated exclusively to citizen science (CS) and participatory research methods within the social sciences. The interdisciplinary event, titled Contemporary Challenges: Citizen Science in the Humanities and Social Sciences, gathered researchers, practitioners, and creators of citizen science projects from a wide range of expertise from Hungary. Founder and current members of the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) and the Hungarian Citizen Science Ambassador of ECSA enriched the program by providing valuable insights into the association’s work and initiatives. The conference was held at the University Library and Knowledge Centre in Pécs, marking a significant event in the recent history of citizen science in Hungary. While citizen science has traditionally been rooted in the natural sciences, this event highlighted its expanding influence and adaptability within the social sciences.
Rethinking Social Science Research through Participatory Methods
The program offered a diverse range of topics, showcasing how citizen science and citizen social science can serve as reflexive and adaptable approaches, operating at both grassroots (bottom-up) and institutional (top-down) levels. A significant emphasis was placed on collaboration throughout all stages of the research process, from recruitment and active participation to joint data collection, co-creation, co-writing, and the shared dissemination of research findings.
Through a series of engaging presentations and interactive sessions, presenters and participants jointly explored a set of critical themes, including:
- Community building and fostering local participation in rural communities
- Citizen journalism and control over news reporting
- Social justice and linguistics through participation of marginalised social groups
- Decoloniality and knowledge co-production for lasting social change
- Youth empowerment and the role of younger generations in research processes
- Urban environments' monitoring as vantage points for cooperation between inhabitants and municipalities
- Fostering agrobiodiversity and cultural diversity in the case of hobby gardeners
- Reproductive aspects of intellectual labor, highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of “kitchen” work in research
- Boundaries of participatory action research and citizen social science
- Academic openness and the role of universities in fostering citizen science hubs
- International networks and project structures in the field of citizen science
The discussions underscored how participatory methods can address some of the most pressing social issues of our time, including racism, the marginalisation of vulnerable groups, intergenerational challenges, and the barriers inherent in academic publishing and journalism. Presenters shared their theoretical frameworks, methodological strategies, and experiential insights into the potential of collaborative research to reshape the social sciences.
By challenging the conventional boundaries of descriptive, individually driven research, the conference highlighted the transformative potential of citizen science. This approach not only fosters inclusivity and diversity in academic inquiry but also promotes the active involvement of local communities in the co-production of social, cultural, and academic knowledge. A key aspect of the discussions was about how to transform the unidirectional approaches universities often take toward public engagement. Citizen science as such advocating for interactive public participation and the development of participatory infrastructures which is often fostered by University Libraries and Knowledge Hubs as a communication support system for research endeavours.
Alexandra Czeglédi
Research Center of Contemporary Challenges, University of Pécs
