Citizen science as a vehicle to address multiple policy objectives: Case studies from Australia.

Autor: Marks L; Menzies Centre for Health Policy and Economics, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.; The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, The Sax Institute, Sydney, Australia.; Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia., Mitchell J; The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, The Sax Institute, Sydney, Australia.; Prevention Research Collaboration, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia., Rowbotham S; Menzies Centre for Health Policy and Economics, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.; The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, The Sax Institute, Sydney, Australia.; Curtin School of Allied Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia., Laird Y; The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, The Sax Institute, Sydney, Australia.; Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.; Prevention Research Collaboration, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia., Smith BJ; The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, The Sax Institute, Sydney, Australia.; Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.; Prevention Research Collaboration, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals [Health Promot J Austr] 2024 Oct; Vol. 35 (4), pp. 1326-1336. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 May 19.
DOI: 10.1002/hpja.866
Abstrakt: Issue Addressed: Despite increasing interest in citizen science as an approach to engage members of the public in research and decision making about health and wellbeing, there is a lack of practical evidence to guide policy and practice organisations to utilise these approaches. In this study we investigated how and why citizen science came to be incorporated into the work of two policy organisations.
Methods: We offer two in-depth case studies of Australian government organisations which have utilised citizen science in environmental and healthy ageing policy. Interviews with organisational informants and relevant documents were analysed inductively to explore how citizen science came to be adopted, legitimised and supported.
Results: Citizen science was utilised to address multiple organisational objectives, including increasing community participation in science; enhancing individuals' wellbeing, learning, and skills, and generating data to support research and policy in a relatively cost-effective manner. In both cases, grant funding was a mechanism to support citizen science, with project delivery facilitated through academic-policy partnerships and led by external academic or community partners.
Conclusion: Although citizen science is relatively new in policy and practice settings, this study underscores the value of these approaches in realising co-benefits for organisations, academics, and community members. The support and advocacy of senior managers as 'champions', and a willingness to invest in trialling new approaches to address policy problems are necessary ingredients to foster acceptance and legitimacy of citizen science. SO WHAT?: Citizen science initiatives can be strategically utilised by health promotion organisations to enact priorities related to genuine community involvement, support research and innovation and facilitate collaboration and partnerships between academic, policy and community stakeholders.
(© 2024 The Authors. Health Promotion Journal of Australia published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Health Promotion Association.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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