(Co-)Producing Knowledge out of the Academic Box. A Service-Based View of Citizen Science

This qualitative paper sets out to build upon recent developments in public management and service science literatures to better understand the increasing engagement of individuals and communities in the co-production of knowledge within Citizen Science (CS) projects, i.e., research collaborations where tasks are performed by members of the public. Mapping the scattered geography of contemporary CS, the study focuses on two cross-cutting make-or-break factors: the role of ICT and the individual motivations to participate in CS. The paper argues that a broader appreciation of CS informed by a ‘service’ view becomes itself a potential source of new insights not limited to the CS field. In particular, the study proposes that framing CS as a ‘service ecosystem’ can provide public decision makers and IS designers with essential insights for the broader understanding of conditions, processes and outcomes of citizen’s online experience.