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workshop vu amsterdam

A transdisciplinary project at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam on citizen science. The group shifted the brief from simple project visibility to a sharper question around inclusivity, reciprocity, and shared impact.

The work produced maps, criteria, a reciprocity checklist, and an interactive final session to make abstract concepts discussable.

The final presentation shows the reframing of the brief and the research steps.
The final presentation shows the reframing of the brief and the research steps.
Type
Transdisciplinary research project
Place
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Period
Spring 2026
Role
Research design, visual synthesis, facilitation
Question

Under what conditions can citizen science become inclusive, reciprocal, and useful for the communities involved?

Context

The initial brief asked for fragmented initiatives to become more visible. During the work, the group recognized that a map was not enough: the central issue was the quality of the relationship between university, projects, and communities.

Process

How it was built

  1. 01

    Analysis of existing initiatives, literature, and reference cases.

  2. 02

    Reframing of the problem from mapping and visibility to inclusivity, reciprocity, and shared impact.

  3. 03

    Construction of criteria and tools to discuss the role of communities in research.

  4. 04

    Development of an interactive final session that made the topic participatory.

Outputs

What came out

  • Conceptual map
  • Reciprocity checklist
  • Evaluation criteria
  • Action-oriented proposal
  • Interactive final session
  • Visual synthesis
The group works across discussion, sources, criteria, and shared synthesis.
The group works across discussion, sources, criteria, and shared synthesis.
The project turns abstract definitions into usable questions.
The project turns abstract definitions into usable questions.
The working table holds disciplines, documents, and decisions together.
The working table holds disciplines, documents, and decisions together.
The final deck makes the path from mapping to reciprocity visible.
The final deck makes the path from mapping to reciprocity visible.
Why it matters

The design contribution lies in making complex concepts handleable: inclusion, impact, and reciprocity become tools for discussion, not just correct words.