Step 5: Transforming results into action

Like any other research approach, citizen social science should be critically considered and evaluated for both its scope and limitations. However, citizen social science has the potential to make a significant impact both on the social world and on the democratisation of science. Public engagement is an intrinsic, core dimension of this process. Project results can be turned into action and achieve social impact pursued by citizens and civil society organizations . As such, the fifth step completes the research cycle by re-connecting results to the first step of research identification for another round aiming at a progressive spiral of research planning, doing research, changing the social world. Because the entire research process  was co-designed and implemented collaboratively with the stakeholders, the results have immediate relevance for social practices and change  as a built-in function of the project from its inception. Step 5 Transforming results into actionprovides answers to: What are the immediate and long-term implications of the analysis? How do findings relate to stakeholders’ needs and expectations ? How can results inform social actions and change?