Abstract:

In the field of social sciences and humanities, the role of citizen science can be multifaceted, encompassing various aspects of studying civic engagement, understanding civil rights and liberties, educating for civic responsibility, promoting social justice and equity, preserving cultural heritage, and encouraging active citizen participation in preserving and enhancing cultural heritage. This paper outlines how citizen science, through collaboration with academic researchers, citizens, specific experts, and the local community, can contribute to the development of guidelines and strategies for advancing science and engaging citizens at the local, regional, and national levels. The authors outline the status of citizen science in the social sciences and humanities, highlighting the benefits to all stakeholders, and provide recommendations for integrating citizen science into research projects and higher education. They highlight the challenges that educators and researchers face in integrating citizen science into scholarly work and how to take advantage of opportunities to better connect higher education educators, students, and the community. In the context of research projects, the opportunities for involving and expanding the role of students and citizens in the stages of the research process are highlighted, as is the potential for creating networks, associations, and platforms that support various citizen science projects.

Keywords:

Citizen science, social sciences and humanities, academia, higher education, research, students.