The "Problem of Extension" revisited: new modes of digital participation in science

Abstract

Citizen Science is part of a broader reconfiguration of the relationship between science and the public in the digital age: Knowledge production and the reception of scientific knowledge are becoming increasingly socially inclusive. We argue that the digital revolution brings the "problem of extension" — identified by Collins and Evans in the context of science and technology governance — now closer to the core of scientific practice. In order to grasp the implications of the inclusion of non-experts in science, the aim of this contribution is to define a role-set of non-certified knowledge production and reception, serving as a heuristic instrument for empirical clarifications.

Between Vision and Reality: A Study of Scientists’ Views on Citizen Science

“…This can be achieved with the mutualistic nature of citizen science as citizens and scientists work together toward a common goal (Dickel and Franzen 2016). Scientific data and findings can be communicated to participants through projects blogs, forums, and Facebook pages, which also serve as platforms for participants to discuss their findings, raise new questions, and interact with scientists (Golumbic 2015;Jackson et al 2016).…”

Who wants to be a citizen scientist? Identifying the potential of citizen science and target segments in Switzerland

“…The emergence and rise of digital media and particularly of online and social media have catalysed this approximation in recent years. They have established new interfaces between science and society (Dickel & Franzen, 2016) that allow non-scientists to interact with science in novel waysor at least to considerably scale up opportunities for interaction even though they may have existed before: non-scientists can now be witnesses to "science in the making" in livestreams from the NASA control room or Twitter feeds from scientific conferences. They can be discussion partners of scientists in online boards and fora (e.g., Zavestoski, Shulman, & Schlosberg, 2016).…”

Selling science 2.0: What scientific projects receive crowdfunding online?

“…Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010)—have created new interfaces between science and the broader public (e.g. Brossard, 2013; Dickel and Franzen, 2016). Non-scientists can observe “science in the making” in live-streams from scientific conferences (cf.…”