Flexibility & reflexivity

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Flexibility & reflexivity: Co-evaluation design is flexible and determined as a process, where participants meet to communicate and negotiate their views on evaluation instruments and results and hence the problems to solve with citizen social science. The mix of formats, timing, and methods of co-evaluation should reflect the project aims and be adapted to the contextual setting. Plans for the improvement of the project, for evaluation approaches, and impact measures are openly discussed.

Recommendations:

• Roles of participants may change during the process and co-evaluation needs to react to these changes. It is important to move away from pre-assigned roles for participants and embrace the development some participants may go through during the process.
• Regular reflections to assess if format and timing still fit the needs and interests of participants are recommended.
• Flexibility also refers to what is evaluated – keep an eye on unexpected/unintended outcomes of your actions.
• Flexibility has its limits and is constrained by factors such as time, workload, scientific rigor. The co-evaluation process needs to be carefully balanced and adaptively managed while considering scientific quality and ethics.

Contribute to the discussion of this principle

Enrich this principle with your own experiences, expand it with fresh views, complement, challenge and critique it – and be named as a contributor to the Whitepaper if you wish so 🙂

1. 

   I think the focus on power is so important, particularly when working with young people, and the power balances that…

2. 

   I like the suggestion from PB of adaptive and early engagement. From my own experience, gaining ethical approval for a…

3. 

   It is great when participants take ownership of the projects they are involved in, but does this reduce from the…

4. 

   It seems to me that this principle embodies the essence of co-evaluation. Which is an action taken in order to…

5. 

   This is a really important one, but perhaps also the hardest to achieve. Those marginalized perspectives are often the ones…

6. 

   Being open and transparent is key in my opinion for any successful project. I would add a recommendation to include…

7. 

   Thank you for organizing this consultation. It is a demonstration that you practice what you preach 🙂 This principle is…

8. 

   Forms and protocols for informed consent and similar need to be adapted for clearance from the part of ethic committees…

9. 

   It is important that the extra time required is factored-in from start. Otherwise it may come as a surprise and…

10. 

    With regards to this and all other principles, aspects of ethics and responsibility in all the research steps, must be…

11. 

    OK with the principle. In the recommendations, I thinks “reflexivity” should be stressed more. E.g. Not only flexibility, but also…

12. 

    To this I would like to add the concept of the evaluation champions/leaders/ambassadors (you can name it as you like).…

13. 

    regarding this principle, I would foremost add the need to increase awareness about best practices related to personal data, e.g.…

14. 

    I agree will all things mentioned under this principle. I would supplement with the need to communicate clearly and in…

15. 

    I really like this one, but I would add some recommendations regarding the “letting go” of ownership from scientists or…

16. 

    I love this one, super important. No comments.

17. 

    I think this principle is the more specific to co-evaluation, while the rest could be standard principles for participatory research.…

18. 

    I think this one is also very important, but I miss more recommendations about the empowerment aspect and how co-evaluation…

19. 

    I like this one very much, and it’s already core to citizen science so it should definitively be part of…

20. 

    I think that respecting the timing constraints and interests of participants is vital. Also starting evaluation as early as possible.…

To the next principle “Participant ownership”