Publics and Citizen Science

Citizen science is a practice that allows for public participation in the scientific research process. Citizen science practices have long been associated with upholding democratic beliefs and practices and building public trust in science by having citizens of the public produce reliable and reasonable scientific data. This trust in science allows for leveraging scientific needs in high-stress moments of crisis, such as public vaccination efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Modern technology has afforded new opportunities for citizen science, where participants participate in the process by inputting data from the palms of their hand on a cellular device, or participants can receive timely and necessary real-time information, which may serve some larger important purpose, as was the case when public vaccination campaigns were ongoing early in the pandemic. This chapter discusses citizen science in the context of health and vaccination campaigns to build a literate and informed society interested in ethical science practices.