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Shared motivations, goals and values in the practice of personal science: a community perspective on self-tracking for empirical knowledge

Author

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  • Enric Senabre Hidalgo

    (Université Paris Cité)

  • Mad P. Ball

    (Université Paris Cité
    Open Humans Foundation)

  • Morgane Opoix

    (Université Paris Cité)

  • Bastian Greshake Tzovaras

    (Université Paris Cité
    Open Humans Foundation)

Abstract

Some individuals do not limit their self-tracking efforts to passively collecting and observing gathered data about themselves, but rather develop it into forms of self-research and self-experimentation, also called “personal science”. This type of N-of-1 research is relevant to the fields of personal informatics, patient-led research and social studies of science, but as a knowledge generation practice is still poorly understood. To fill this gap, we conducted 22 semi-structured interviews to investigate the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of individuals engaging in personal science activities, as well as shared goals and values present in self-research communities. Our analysis is based on a conceptual framework that integrates previous approaches in self-research, as well as in connection with citizen science, the scientific ethos and cooperation in peer production. We identify how self-researchers seek to go beyond personal metrics about their health and wellbeing regarding data provided by wearables, are engaged over time by individual involvement in technology and scientific-related activity, and collaborate following similar goals and values when learning and sharing empirical knowledge with peers. In this sense, personal science can be understood as a specific type of citizen science and an example of a more participatory and inclusive scientific culture driven by self-reflection, critical thinking and openness.

Suggested Citation

  • Enric Senabre Hidalgo & Mad P. Ball & Morgane Opoix & Bastian Greshake Tzovaras, 2022. "Shared motivations, goals and values in the practice of personal science: a community perspective on self-tracking for empirical knowledge," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:9:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-022-01199-0
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-022-01199-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nafus, Dawn, 2019. "Data Aggregation as Social Relations: Making Datasets from Self-Tracking Data," European Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 27(3), pages 440-454, July.
    2. Kempner, Joanna & Bailey, John, 2019. "Collective self-experimentation in patient-led research: How online health communities foster innovation," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 238(C), pages 1-1.
    3. Hong Jin & Ying Peng & Jian Chen & Seong Taek Park, 2022. "Research on the Connotation and Dimension of Consumers’ Quantified-Self Consciousness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-15, January.
    4. Minna Ruckenstein, 2014. "Visualized and Interacted Life: Personal Analytics and Engagements with Data Doubles," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-17, February.
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