Citizen science for the study of complex social phenomena

by Josep Perelló,

Department of Condensed Matter Physics & Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), Universitat de Barcelona (UB).

Martí i Franquès, 1 08028 Barcelona, Spain

 

Summary:

We will introduce the concept of citizen science and reflect on the possibilities to use participatory research practices for a better understanding of several social phenomena from complex systems and statistical physics perspectives. We will talk about the different steps where citizens and civil society organisations can be involved from the project definition to the data interpretation and which key data-based knowledges can be obtained both valid from the participants' perspectives and for academic scientific publications. To do so, we will be sharing the specific experiences and particular the research processes behind several citizen science projects that have used complex systems to develop behavioural experiments with game theory in different contexts, dynamical models for pedestrian mobility in neighborhoods or specific technologies such as a chatbot to better learn about mental health social support networks.