Call for papers
The fteval Journal for Research and Technology Policy Evaluation has reserved the upcoming special Issue Number 54 for mid-2022, which will be dedicated to participatory evaluation in citizen science. As such, the Journal welcomes academic and practice-oriented contributions dealing with the evaluation of RTI policies. These may be specific results of evaluation studies as well as methodological, organizational, or theoretical contributions.
Abstracts should be submitted by 15th of September 2021, in MS Word, RTF, or Open Document Text format, and should not exceed 500 words.
Important dates:
- Submission of abstracts: 15 Sept 2021 (notification 15 Oct 2021)
- Submission of full papers: 31 Dec 2021
- Publication (print and on–line): June 2022
More information about the submission guidelines here.
What is the issue about?
Even though Citizen Science is by definition highly participatory, its evaluation and impact assessment practices often do not live up to this claim. In its upcoming special issue, the Journal gives a unique opportunity to explore existing approaches to participatory evaluation that involve participants of citizen science activities in reflecting and assessing projects’ or initiatives’ processes and outcomes.
The issue will collect and discuss a wide range of methods of participatory evaluation, informed by the experiences gathered both in traditional citizen (social) science projects and in diverse fields such as development, social, and youth work. Potential authors and young researchers are invited to elaborate on theoretical and practical grounds regarding participatory evaluation in citizen science. Moreover, contributions that reflect on participatory evaluation methods from other fields and their potential application for citizen science are equally encouraged in the submission process.
Key questions and topics to be covered
The primary thematic focus will be on citizen science, participatory social research, public policy, environmental justice, and related fields, as well as reports from practitioners, including related theoretical and practical perspectives from various other professions and disciplines. Indicative key questions are:
- What options are there for the design of participatory evaluation in citizen science and related domains?
- What are the challenges and benefits of participatory evaluation for involved stakeholders and participants?
- What should be the scopes for participatory evaluation and respective impact assessments, where to start, and where to go?
- What methods and approaches have proven to work well in participatory evaluation in citizen (social) science and citizen humanities?
- How can the interfaces of research and policy and society be fostered with participatory evaluation, and what are the pitfalls to care about?
- What legal and ethical issues must be considered and addressed when developing and implementing participatory evaluation?
Topics to be covered
- Governance and planning of participatory processes
- Evaluation in participation design
- Power relationships and shifting power configurations
- Monitoring processes and output
- Capacity building
- Creating trust and safe spaces
- Reflexivity
- Openness
- Ownership of processes and results
About the journal
The Journal for Research and Technology Policy Evaluation is positioned at the interface between research and technology policy practice and academic quality, thereby contributing to the exchange between the various stakeholder groups in the RTI evaluation field. Including the previous newsletters from which the journal emerged, 52 editions have already been published. The journal is published as open access. All papers undergo an editorial review.
