Citizen science is a popular method of gathering data for natural and social scientists, with the number of projects and publications produced growing year by year. A typical citizen science project uses volunteers to gather data that would otherwise be unaffordable or inaccessible.
But, based on the evidence we gathered during our study of a long-running planning dispute in south Wales, we think it’s time to broaden our understanding of citizen science to include a much wider range of activities. These include studying planning and environmental law, as well as being up to date with the science that influences government decisions.
