Citizen science (CS) can foster transformative impact for science, citizen empowerment and socio-political processes. To unleash this impact, a clearer understanding of its current status and challenges for its development is needed. Using quantitative indicators developed in a collaborative stakeholder process, our study provides a comprehensive overview of the current status of CS in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Our online survey with 340 responses focused on CS impact through (1) scientific practices, (2) participant learning and empowerment, and (3) socio-political processes. With regard to scientific impact, we found that data quality control is an established component of CS practice, while publication of CS data and results has not yet been achieved by all project coordinators (55%). Key benefits for citizen scientists were the experience of collective impact (“making a difference together with others”) as well as gaining new knowledge. For the citizen scientists’ learning outcomes, different forms of social learning, such as systematic feedback or personal mentoring, were essential. While the majority of respondents attributed an important value to CS for decision-making, only few were confident that CS data were indeed utilized as evidence by decision-makers. Based on these results, we recommend (1) that project coordinators and researchers strengthen scientific impact by fostering data management and publications, (2) that project coordinators and citizen scientists enhance participant impact by promoting social learning opportunities and (3) that project initiators and CS networks foster socio-political impact through early engagement with decision-makers and alignment with ongoing policy processes. In this way, CS can evolve its transformative impact.

This is the first version of the White Paper Citizen Science Strategy 2030 for Germany. This version is out for consultation from 8/8/21-30/9/2021 and will then be revised with received comments and reviews accordingly. Consultation website: www.citizen-science-weissbuch.de

The following article reflects on the competences acquired in Citizen Science and their visibility. It is based on a workshop at the Austrian Citizen Science Conference in June 2022, where it was shown that the acquisition of competences in Citizen Science projects is rarely discussed at project level, neither in relation to citizen scientists nor for academic scientists. Concepts, tools and practices existing in the D-A-CH region to valorize competences acquired through Citizen Science were collected, opportunities and challenges were addressed. Recommendations formulated during the workshop conclude the article.

The 10 Swiss Citizen Science (CS) principles aim to provide common ground and orientation for the Swiss CS community. Developed by Swiss CS representatives, the Swiss CS principles were suggested to the CS community thanks to a national online consultation during which important feedback was collected and integrated. The Swiss CS principles may be adapted and modified according to the future needs and developments of the Swiss CS community. Therefore, best practice examples and feedback have been collected during the OECSK Conference. The Swiss CS principles proposal is based on the following documents: 1. The 10 Principles of Citizen Science (2015) by the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) and 2. the Code of conduct for scientific integrity (2021) by the Swiss Academies of Art and Sciences.