In this policy brief, ISEED proposes tackling low trust in science and lacking science literacy, as both can pose risks to democratic governance and foster populism.

To address this issue, ISEED suggests creating educational hubs in the form of Science Clubs, which are currently active in Uruguay as non-formal learning spaces for school-age children.

These hubs aim to build a scientific culture by involving community members in scientific projects through various research methodologies such as questionnaires and experiments.

Participation in such activities could enhance science literacy, support democratic processes, and foster collaborative discussions among children, youth, and teachers also in Europe.

In this policy brief, ISEED discusses how citizen science, as a form of social innovation, hinges on the widespread adoption of specific technologies, which can facilitate data collection and management, like mobile phones.

To be effective, a significant number of individuals must embrace these technological solutions. The goal is to cultivate familiarity with the technologies needed and to avoid technology becoming a barrier to participation.

ISEED, thus, points out that citizen science projects must not only engage people with the project’s issues but also encourage folks to adopt new technologies. The success of projects using mobile data collection technologies heavily depends on users’ attitudes towards the technologies.

In this policy brief, ISEED examines preferred methods for engaging citizens in the discussion of scientific topics and the barriers that deter people from participating in these discussions. 

ISEED presents an analysis of the findings from an online survey that gathered data on citizen-science interactions, with a particular focus on topics of global warming and climate change.

The study compared responses to two sources— a politician and a scientist — and two types of messages: rational and emotional. It sought to understand respondents’ preferences for participation methods and the obstacles they face in engaging online in dialogues between citizens and science stakeholders.