Citizen science is well-established as a way of involving the public in large-scale scientific research, where people take part in volunteer monitoring and crowd-sourced projects.

IGP’s approach to citizen science is different. We established UCL’s Citizen Science Academy to train local people to work as social scientists in their own communities.

Citizen social scientists are trained in research ethics, qualitative and quantitative methods, and data analysis. They work with IGP’s academic researchers to design research that captures local experiences and reflects what matters to local people and communities. They are trained to design projects, collect and analyse data, interpret the results and share information

Our citizen social scientists bring a wide range of experiences, insights and expertise to research. This is the kind of information decision-makers need to understand what prosperity means to different people in different places and the strengths, needs and challenges in different communities.

To find out more or work with the Citizen Science Academy email citizenscienceacademy@ucl.ac.uk