Peer-production

of knowledge

for shared

social goals:

the case of

environmental health

Mariachiara Tallacchini

mariachiara.tallacchini@unicatt.it

• Democracies of knowledge: the role of science in the state under the rule of the law

• What is peer-production ?

• The troubles with official science and institutional knowledge

• The recent development of citizen science and the differences between EU and EU citizen science

• From participation to peer-production

Scientific method(s) and scientific

knowledge represented a major

element in the construction of the

modern state and law as ideals

for objectivity and certainty

The scientific community has

been traditionally portrayed as an

ideal model for ethics and

democratic society

Knowledge-based and

innovation society

Science and decision-

making processes are

strongly connected in

validating and legitimizing

each other

Changes in knowledge and

technology production has

implications in the way we

conceive of democracy

The modern relation among science, law,

and policy

Peer-production of knowledge, ethics, trust

Peer production is an organizational

innovation connected to ICT:

1. Decentralized conception

2. Diverse motivations (non-monetary motivations)

3. Organization (governance and

management) separated from property

• Everybody (scientists and lay citizens)

is entitled to produce knowledge

• ICT allow forms of collaboration where knowledge and trust are connected for the achievement of

shared goals and protection of

common goods

Citizen Science,

scientific citizenship

• The terms citizen science and citizen scientists entered the Oxford English Dictionary in June 2014.

• Citizen science is defined as scientific work undertaken by members of the general public, often in collaboration with or under the direction of professional scientists and scientific institutions

• Citizen scientists, in the modern sense, are defined as a member of the general public who engages in scientific work, often in collaboration with or under the direction of professional scientists and scientific institutions; an amateur scientist.

European Communities, 2002

EU Citizen science

(Green paper 2013)

Citizen Science refers to

the general public engagement in

scientific research

activities when citizens actively contribute to

science either with their

intellectual effort or

surrounding knowledge

or with their tools and

resources.

EU Citizen science

(White paper 2014)

http://www.google.it/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRxqFQoTCPGTh7bF48gCFUXsFAodDrwBrw&url=http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/DE7Fvvft7oh/Senate%2BHolds%2BHearing%2BFuture%2BHuman%2BSpace%2BFlight/kFOXdTsspF8/John%2BHoldren&psig=AFQjCNFLEAtC5aSn0FssxwIurjekuxu-_g&ust=1446065903821569

• Formulating research questions

• Conducting scientific experiments

• Collecting and analyzing data

• Interpreting results

• Making new discoveries

• Developing technologies and applications

• Solving complex problems

Addressing

societal

issues

Full recognition

of the

methodological and

theoretical value

Economic impacts:

• Value of citizen science

economy

• Value of teaching and

learning processes

Policy and political impacts:

• Increased trust between

institutions and citizens

• Increased efficiency and

effectiveness of Federal Agencies policies

Direct Federal support to citizen science

Do It Yourself

Participatory surveillance

Participatory surveillance

Participatory genomics

Participatory genomics

Personal Genome Project (PGP):

difference between crowd-sourced knowledge and peer-

production of knowledge

Wearable (portable) sensors and open

source interactive platforms (raw data)

Collaboration citizens/experts to define

the scientific issues and location of

monitoring devices

Crowdfunded purchase of monitoring

devices

Validation of results

Implementation of a website for

continuous monitoring open and

meaningful for citizens

And

Open platforms with access to raw data

Policy-related science (EU): institutions protecting citizens

through the precautionary principle (environment and health)

a Self-referential scientific community: the Republic of science

(Polanyi) and ‘Science speaks truth to power’ (Wildafsky)

Knowledge can be produced everywhere

in society (citizen science): need to gather

all relevant knowledge for the decision-making

process (Funtowicz – extended peer review)

Evolving

models for

science policy

Science “in”, “with” and “for” society, trust

and scientific citizenship rights (public

consultation and participation)

Peer-production of knowledge,

collaboration among scientists,

citizens, and institutions

To: Institutions, scientists and

citizens

proactive collaborative re-

assessment,

re-evaluation,

re-negotiation of

knowledge with increased

transparency, accessibility,

credibility

From:

knowledge as

ex post-facto

challenge in courts

L’Autrice dichiara di non avere alcun conflitto di interesse

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Grazie