Engagement and Social Impact in Tech-Based Citizen Science Initiatives for Achieving the SDGs: A Systematic Literature Review with a Perspective on Complex Thinking

Jorge Sanabria-Z, Berenice Alfaro-Ponce (), Omar Israel González Peña (), Hugo Terashima-Marín and José Carlos Ortiz-Bayliss
Additional contact information
Jorge Sanabria-Z: Institute for the Future of Education, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
Berenice Alfaro-Ponce: Institute for the Future of Education, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
Omar Israel González Peña: Institute for the Future of Education, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
Hugo Terashima-Marín: Institute for the Future of Education, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
José Carlos Ortiz-Bayliss: School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 17, 1-22

Abstract: Recent years have witnessed significant achievements and technological advances in citizen science (CS) projects; nevertheless, significant global challenges are present. Proof of this is in the joint efforts of international organizations to achieve the 2030 SDG agenda in a complex environment. Thus, UNESCO has recognized CS as being among the initiatives that could bridge the Science, Technology, and Innovation gap as a substantial resource, given its power to bring the general public closer together. Although tech-based CS projects keep rising, there is limited knowledge about which type of projects might allow participants to develop higher-order complex thinking skills. To that end, this study describes a systematic literature review (SLR) and analysis of 49 CS projects over the last 5 years concerning the technology utilized, the level of citizen involvement, and the intended social impact. The results of the analysis evidenced: (a) broad implementation in Europe on issues of the built environment, disaster risk, and environmental and animal monitoring; (b) prevalence of helix configurations other than the triple, quadruple, and quintuple helix innovation models; (c) a focus on technological developments to improve living conditions in cities; (d) an opportunity to develop applied native technologies; (e) limited development of participants’ complex thinking, when constrained to low levels of involvement; and (f) an opportunity to develop native technologies and promote a higher level of citizen participation, leading to more significant impact whilst developing complex thinking.

Keywords: participatory science; technology; complex thinking; higher education; sustainable development goals; information and communication technologies; quintuple helix innovation model; revised Bloom’s taxonomy; RBT; critical thinking; innovative thinking; industry 4.0; educational innovation; transversal competencies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/17/10978/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/17/10978/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:17:p:10978-:d:905212

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().