Step 4: Interpreting Data

Citizen social science mobilizes and engages volunteer participants for the analysis and interpretation of data.

More Information

Methods

Co-researchers, stakeholders and community partners may participate in multiple stages of the research cycle. An important role for professional researchers when it comes to data interpretation   is to actively facilitate low-threshold procedures to explore and make sense of data with volunteer co-researchers. It is important that the complexity especially of data analysis is broken down to make participation feasible even without formal education in scientific method. Step 4Interpreting data provides answers to questions such as: What are feasible and meaningful methods for analysing date? What are the different meanings and possibilities around existing data? Are these meanings adequately examined, made sense of and collaboratively discussed in the context of the wider research questions?