CONFERENCECitizen science involves the wider public in scientific research. Non-professionals, or members of the public, actively participate in scientific work – from data collection to analysis or even formulating research questions. This approach provides a direct link between scientists and the wider public, promoting scientific literacy and trust in science.
Citizen science allows for the collection of huge amounts of data across a wide geographical area. For example, in the natural sciences, it is used to observe bird migration, plant flowering, or air quality in cities. In the social sciences, citizens can collect data on social phenomena such as the state of cultural heritage, street names, or local community stories.
There are several important citizen science platforms operating in Latvia. For example, dabasdati.lv is a platform created in 2008 where birdwatchers, botanists, and other nature lovers enter data on species observations, creating valuable scientific information. The platform was created by the Latvian Nature Fund and the Latvian Ornithological Society with the aim of promoting awareness and protection of Latvia's natural values. The Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art at the University of Latvia has created the website iesaisties.lv, which allows anyone to participate in the digitization of cultural heritage by deciphering old manuscripts or adding place names and stories to maps. In 2024, this digital platform received recognition from the European Union's Citizen Science Award, a prestigious international competition in which 288 projects from 49 countries participated.
UL faculties are actively implementing citizen science projects in various fields. Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) The Department of Geography regularly organizes initiatives called "One Day in Latvia" to collect phenological data – residents throughout Latvia simultaneously photograph trees (bird cherries, birches, apple trees) to study the impact of climate change. The FST Perception and Cognitive Systems Laboratory involves volunteers in perception studies, offering participants the opportunity to learn about scientific processes and receive information about the results. The FST Optometry and Vision Science Department offer participation in vision exercise studies, where participants perform special exercises for two months and receive free eye tests and consultations.
The Faculty of Humanities is implementing word clean-ups – place name collection campaigns (2017) and regional word collection campaigns (2022), where the public helps to preserve the Latvian language heritage by documenting local names and dialect words. These initiatives continue the tradition of linguists that began in the 19th century with the calls of Augusts Bīlenšteins and Juris Plāķis for the public to help compile dictionaries. The Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences engages seniors as active research participants. The international "EQualCare" project (2021-2024) exemplifies this approach by studying seniors' digital experiences. Participants served as co-researchers who defined research questions, developed methodologies, and carried out data collection.
UL researchers can plan their projects to include public involvement in various ways – from data collection to interpretation of results. This can generate new ideas and solutions that are more practical and sustainable because they are developed in close collaboration with the people directly affected by the problem. Citizen science promotes a bottom-up approach to research.
Citizen science projects give researchers access to a larger amount of data and wider geographical coverage than traditional research. At the same time, they promote public education and the popularization of science, increasing trust in research and building long-term collaborative relationships with the community.