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The Value of Citizen Participation in Technology Assessment, Responsible Research and Innovation, and Sustainable Development

Author

Listed:
  • Nora Weinberger

    (Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany)

  • Silvia Woll

    (Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany)

  • Christopher Conrad Maximillian Kyba

    (GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, 14473 Potsdam, Germany)

  • Nona Schulte-Römer

    (GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, 14473 Potsdam, Germany)

Abstract

The participation of citizens in scientific research has a long tradition, and in some disciplines, especially medical research, it is even common practice. In Technology Assessment (TA), Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), and Sustainable Development (SD), the participation of citizens can be of considerable value. In this paper, we explore this value for three concepts, based on the researcher’s insights from three participatory research projects. The first project is the citizen science project TeQfor1, which was conducted with, for, and on the type 1 diabetes community, who do not feel adequately supported by the conventional health care system. In the second project, citizens with vision impairments participated in the technological development of an audio-tactile navigation tool in the TERRAIN project. The third project (Nachtlichter) dealt with light pollution. Based on the three projects presented, we show that citizen participation makes specific contributions to TA, RRI, and SD. We also investigate the specificity of citizen engagement and motivation by differentiating between existing and emerging involvement. In conclusion, we discuss the benefits that may be added by participatory approaches for the three concepts of TA, RRI, and SD.

Suggested Citation

  • Nora Weinberger & Silvia Woll & Christopher Conrad Maximillian Kyba & Nona Schulte-Römer, 2021. "The Value of Citizen Participation in Technology Assessment, Responsible Research and Innovation, and Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-15, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:21:p:11613-:d:661210
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nora Weinberger & Markus Winkelmann & Karin Müller & Sebastian Ritterbusch & Rainer Stiefelhagen, 2019. "Public Participation in the Development Process of a Mobility Assistance System for Visually Impaired Pedestrians," Societies, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-15, April.
    2. Jeremy Auerbach & Erika L. Barthelmess & Darlene Cavalier & Caren B. Cooper & Heather Fenyk & Mordechai Haklay & Joseph M. Hulbert & Christopher C. M. Kyba & Lincoln R. Larson & Eva Lewandowski & Lea , 2019. "The problem with delineating narrow criteria for citizen science," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 116(31), pages 15336-15337, July.
    3. Nona Schulte-Römer & Josiane Meier & Etta Dannemann & Max Söding, 2019. "Lighting Professionals versus Light Pollution Experts? Investigating Views on an Emerging Environmental Concern," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-20, March.
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