LIBER – SciStarter Webinar – Effective Communication in Citizen Science projects

The LIBER Citizen Science Working Group and SciStarter are organising a new webinar series that will provide more tips and tricks for libraries to engage in Citizen Science.

Well-designed communication strategies are necessary to motivate citizens to get involved in a Citizen Science project, and to maintain their interest in the long run. Indeed, sustained engagement is critical for the success of any Citizen Science project. Effective communication helps to establish connections, fosters belonging and makes the project more rewarding for all parties involved. If communication contributes to a better understanding of the project, clarifies the message during training activities, it will ultimately enhance the quality of research results.

Two-way interaction is at the core of Citizen Science projects, the idea being that non-professional scientists collaborate with researchers on an equal footing. Communication is key to creating this kind of collaboration. If we want to bridge the gap between science and society and bring research closer to the public, we have to invest in communication. This also means that we have to be aware of our own unconscious biases.

Carina Veeckman (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and Frank Kupper together with Sem Barendse (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) will share best practices and will show the potential of dialogue techniques for the development of Citizen Science.

Participation is open and available to all. The webinar is aimed at those interested in Citizen Science and its application in academic libraries.

REGISTER HERE

About the Speakers

  • Carina Veeckman

    • Carina Veeckman has a bachelor’s degree in Communication Management (PR & events, Artevelde, 2006) and a master’s degree in Communication Sciences (New Media and Society, Ghent University, 2011). Carina is working as a senior researcher at SMIT in the Digital Inclusion and Citizen Engagement Unit, acting as the principal investigator for citizen science. She started her PhD on the democratizing effects of citizen science in 2022. The PhD focuses on the trilemma between equality, participation, deliberation, and the inclusion of vulnerable groups in citizen science.
      Carina has been involved in citizen science projects since 2016, as a project manager, acquisition lead and researcher. In these projects, mostly in the environmental domain, she investigates the interplay between science, society, and technology and its effects on civic capacities and justice. She is experienced in setting up participatory governance processes, in which co-creation with citizens is central.
      Carina is a member of the steering committee of the Flemish Citizen Science Association (SCIVIL), with whom she published a guidebook on communication and engagement strategies, and a roadmap for citizen science with and by local government. Furthermore, she is closely involved in the development of a single point of contact for citizen science within the Science Outreach Office (cfr. Citizen Science Starter Kit) at the VUB, and the OpenLab initiative that unites VUB and ULB on participatory research.
    • Carina will present the guide “Communication in Citizen Science. A practical guide to communication and engagement in citizen science“, which she wrote in collaboration with Sarah Talboom, Liesbeth Gijsel, Hilde Devoghel, and Annelies Duerinckx. Her presentation will provide practical insights about communication plans for Citizen Science. She will also provide questions for critical discussion.

  • Frank Kupper

    • Frank Kupper is an independent researcher, facilitator, and theatremaker at the intersection of science and society. With his company Mens in de Maak, he creates meaningful public conversations about science. As an associate professor in public engagement at VU University Amsterdam, he leads the Science in Dialogue Network, aimed at the integration of engagement and dialogue in research practices from start to finish, throughout the university. His overall mission is to create more openness and dialogue in the relationship between science and society.
    • Dialogue between science and society is more important, but also more challenging than ever. Especially in the current time, when uncertainty, polarization and conflict put pressure on the relationship between science and society. Dialogue may broaden the view of complex issues, connect perspectives and thus make it possible to navigate this complexity. However, to enable dialogue around research practices, researchers must be supported and able to conduct and facilitate this in a constructive manner. That is why VU University Amsterdam has started a university-wide network at to promote dialogue as a “way of working” on campus. We do this by stimulating all aspects of interaction and dialogue, beyond the boundaries of disciplines, backgrounds and perspectives. The aim is threefold: 1) to promote broad reflection; 2) seeking alignment with values and needs in society; 3) learning to navigate complexity together. We provide training, guide researchers and develop creative dialogue spaces around complex issues. In this way we offer a platform to enter into dialogue with each other and society, to research, to struggle with it and to learn from it.
    • This session invites you to explore the art of dialogue, what it takes, and how can dialogue contribute to a sense of humility, openness and reflexivity.

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