Citizen Science was the topic discussed in the monthly Responsible Research & Innovation Seminar that took place on March 20, 2019, in the Institute of Social Sciences (ICS) – University of Lisbon (Instituto de Ciências Sociais – Universidade de Lisboa). The dimension of Citizen Science in ReSEED project was presented by Principal Investigator Dulce Freire in the debate that also counted on the participation of ICS researcher Ana Delicado and was moderated by ICS researcher João Graça. The event was opened to other researchers and the general public.
Ana Delicado highlighted that Citizen Science means direct participation of citizens in the investigation, not as study objects but as active participants in the different phases of the research. She mentioned Portuguese and Europeans examples of projects that have been implementing some forms of Citizen Science and put in discussion how this participation could go beyond the “crowdsourcing”, when citizens contribute for some tasks in data collection phase.
Dulce Freire explained that ReSEED understands Citizen Science as a broader concept. It is considered a continuous process of citizen participation and involvement since the beginning of the project. The nature of this participation varies depending on the stage of the research journey.
Citizens can participate at any time in the project either through interaction with ReSEED profiles on social media or in the “Get Involved” section of this website, where they are invited to share information on local cuisine, memories about seeds that have been cultivated in the past and similar contributions.
Citizen Science will have a more active nature in the research process through specific tasks. We want this collaboration to have benefits both for the project and for those who participate. It can strengthen the citizens’ ties with the place where they live and with the historical, agrarian and culinary heritageof the various regions of the Iberian Peninsula. On the other hand, the information required for ReSEED is in several languages and has different references. Since food has gone through an immense process of globalization since the late fifteenth-century travels, there may be interest in collaboration anywhere in the globe.
More information about how citizens can participate in ReSSED Project´s specific tasks will be provided later. The summary of the Responsible Research & Innovation Seminar about Citizen Science is available here in Portuguese.
