Citizen Science is a concept that has recently gained increasing popularity. Rather than a field or discipline, it can best be understood as a principle, practice or objective, similar to open science or interdisciplinary collaboration. Accordingly, some authors prefer referring to terms such as Citizen Research and Citizen Researchers. Far from being a mainstream issue within contemporary Media and Film Studies, we believe that our research areas are actually predestined for Citizen Research. Due to the pervasiveness of media in today’s social and cultural practice, citizens are engaged in many critical discussions about media phenomena, be they political, social or media-historical. We find that these practices overlap with topics, objects and priorities in our own fields of research. The inclusion of Citizen Research as a working principle in Media and Film Studies opens up the possibility of generating knowledge that cannot be developed in mono-disciplinary academic research designs, but become feasible only in co-operations that include various citizens and are characterized by equality. Especially with regard to the development of regional media and film history, the establishment of new forms of media archives or the translation and interpretation of para texts (to name but a few examples), there is potential that can be tapped by jointly developing research questions and projects.
The SIG aims to further discuss:
- definitions and perspectives of Citizen Research in the context of media and film studies
- how to enable networking between media and film scholars interested in citizen research
- the meanings and directions that Citizen Research could develop in media and film studies
- the development of best practices and quality control.
If you are interested to join our discussions and activities in this field please feel free to contact the SIG members:
Anna Luise Kiss