Consolidating Dispersed Knowledge About Citizen Science and Citizen Observatories: Experiences from the Four WeObserve Communities of Practice

Wehn, U., Fraisl, D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7523-7967, Pau, J.M., Gharesifard, M., See, L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2665-7065, Hager, G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2259-0278, Oliver, J.L., Crystal, T., Ajates, A., Bilbao, A., Butkevičienė, E., Biraghi, C.A., Campbell, J., Durieux, L., Gervasini, E., Gold, M., Kragh, G., Matheus, A., Mac Feely, S., Mocek, L., et al. (2026). Consolidating Dispersed Knowledge About Citizen Science and Citizen Observatories: Experiences from the Four WeObserve Communities of Practice. Environmental Management 76 (5) e172. 10.1007/s00267-026-02442-z.

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Abstract

A strong Community of Practice (CoP) can be powerful in supporting people to share, generate, and disseminate knowledge. This study evaluates the use of the Communities of Practice (CoP) approach for effective knowledge consolidation in the field of citizen science. Our paper offers an analysis of four CoPs that were set up as part of the European-based 3-year WeObserve project, with distinct themes of (1) co-design & citizen engagement; (2) impact and value for governance; (3) interoperability and standards; and (4) the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Participation across the four CoPs fluctuated during their three-year life-time. Three key outcomes emerged from the CoPs. First, a joint identity and understanding were created within and across CoPs through the creation of an inception report by each CoP and through the creation of Citizen observatory (CO) vocabulary, which also served to differentiate such observatories from citizen science (CS) initiatives. Next, scientific papers and technical reports were cooperatively produced by CoP members that represent a synthesis of CoP members’ knowledge. Essential ingredients to the success of these CoPs also included extensive stakeholder engagement and the CoPs being steered by the underpinning values of the CS community. The impacts of the WeObserve CoPs range from the uptake of jointly produced publications, novel cooperative CS projects, new CoPs, joint grant proposals, and the integration of citizen science data into SDG monitoring. This evaluation highlights the diverse and transformative potential of CoPs for citizen science practice.

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