Designing User-Centered Protocols for Scaling Citizen Science: Five Project-Based Personas and Strategies from the CROPS Initiative

Fraisl, D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7523-7967, Harwell, T. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1437-5236, Crocket, L., Moorthy, I. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3664-3855, & Boas, V. (2026). Designing User-Centered Protocols for Scaling Citizen Science: Five Project-Based Personas and Strategies from the CROPS Initiative. In: European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) 2026, 3-6 March 2026, Oulu, Finland.

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Abstract

Scaling citizen science to achieve diverse objectives related to growth, policy impact, and deeper, more meaningful engagement presents significant challenges, particularly when it comes to defining what “scaling” actually means.

Drawing on insights from a literature review, we use the term scaling to describe a broad set of strategies within citizen science:

- driving institutional change through citizen science initiatives (e.g., policy integration);

- replicating or expanding projects across multiple dimensions, including geography, timeframe, research scope, participants, data volume, and methodologies;

- fostering cultural shifts and lasting change by transforming values and beliefs, such as strengthening trust in science;

- achieving meaningful outcomes through intentional scaling down or simplification of projects; and

- implementing two or more of these strategies in combination.

Building on these five strategies, we have developed design protocols to support the effective scaling of citizen science projects. Using a user-centered design approach, we aimed to create practical, action-oriented guideline, helping project teams scale their initiatives successfully. As part of this process, we conducted a persona development exercise with five project-based personas, each representing a citizen science initiative aligned with one of the five scaling strategies described above.

In this panel session, we will present our approach, and the resulting personas used to develop scaling protocols and guidelines. Our goal is to gather feedback from citizen science leaders and practitioners to determine whether the five project-based personas created adequately capture the diversity and scope of the citizen science landscape, particularly in the context of scaling efforts.

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