About
ECSA

About ECSA

What ECSA is

The European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) is a membership organisation set up in 2014. Our main goals are to increase the democratisation of science, encourage the growth of citizen science in Europe, and support the participation of the general public in research processes ⎯ across the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the arts.

Join us and be part of the change.

Our vision

A world where people are empowered to make a positive change through science.

Our mission

We make science and research open, accessible and valuable for everyone.

To realise our vision, ECSA aims to:

become the central hub for new and existing citizen science initiatives and networks, in Europe and beyond
contribute to building a strong and engaged citizen science community
provide high-quality tools and training materials to increase the number of well-trained citizen science practitioners
set standards for good practice in citizen science and share them among the community
strengthen the links between citizen science practice and policy
support the dissemination and use of quality-assured data, in science and by decision-makers
enhance the validation of citizen-generated datasets and support technological advancements
advocate for citizen science as an approach for tracking progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
provide a legal framework that gives our members the support they need to carry out citizen science projects without legal objection.

ECSA refers to science as a collective human enterprise that encompasses a wide range of activities. We recognise the definition given by the Science Council:

“Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence.”

In this definition, science is not only concerned with knowledge of nature and the universe but also with the social world, and refers to the pursuit of knowledge rather than knowledge itself.

ECSA sees citizen science as an open, inclusive approach. We support the exploration of how citizen science should be understood and practised, and help to shape different aspects of the citizen science movement, in Europe and around the world. Ultimately, we believe that this will lead to a better understanding of citizen science, and support the use of its outcomes in decision-making processes.

ECSA members have contributed to many significant documents in the field of citizen science, especially the 10 Principles of Citizen Science, and the Characteristics of Citizen Science.