Project
Citizen Science for Pandemic Preparedness
During the COVID-19 crisis, maintaining citizen engagement proved challenging. Research shows that essential practices, like incorporating patient voices in healthcare decisions, were sidelined. Yet, involving patients and citizens leads to better decisions. It’s crucial to plan ahead: how do we harness all available societal capacities even under immense pressure?
Health & Society (WUR) is teaming up with Stichting Mijn Data Onze Gezondheid to explore the potential of Citizen Science for Pandemic Preparedness. Citizen Science combines the power of active citizenship with the power of science by involving citizens of diverse backgrounds and interests in formulating research questions, collecting, and analysing data, and determining action. In the context of pandemic preparedness, citizen science is relevant to arrive at actionable knowledge and insights to formulate measures, for the benefit of coping and functioning in society.
In this project, we aim to gain insight into how citizens effectively participate in knowledge development, even in times of high tension, such as a pandemic. We will do this by conducting a literature review and by organising interviews and workshops. Three research questions will be answered:
- What types of Citizen Science offer opportunities to contribute to pandemic preparedness?
- What are the preconditions for an effective contribution of Citizen Science to pandemic preparedness?
- What are steps that should and can be taken in the phase before a pandemic to ensure citizen engagement during a pandemic?
Results of this study can be used to enhance pandemic preparedness strategies and citizen engagement efforts.