A few years ago, we deliberately chose not to adopt community science because of its long-standing use by environmental justice groups to describe research that is community-led and rooted in advocacy, healing, and addressing inequities. Many of these groups view broader use of the term as an appropriation that dilutes its meaning and overshadows their efforts. While this may be less visible in urban areas like our home region, Greater Boston, we believe it still matters. The concern has also been raised within the participatory science community in both the US and Europe, particularly when the US began moving away from citizen science in the 2020s. That shift led the national citizen science association, formerly known as such, to rebrand as AAPS (Association for Advancing Participatory Science), following months of discussion across the broader community.
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Why We Prefer “Participatory Science” Over “Community Science”
In recent years, citizen science (*) and community science have become common terms for public involvement in research. Yet these words carry different histories.
The problem with “community science”
For decades, grassroots environmental justice groups have used this term to describe science led by the community itself. It is embedded in the lived experiences and struggles of marginalized groups. Applying the label broadly to volunteer-based research risks diluting its activist meaning and appropriating the power of that history.
Why “participatory science”?
Organizations such as the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and the US Environmental Protection Agency use participatory science to describe inclusive research that engages volunteers, students, and the broader public in data collection and analysis. The term highlights collaboration and involvement without co-opting language central to justice movements.
Why terminology matters
Language shapes how work is valued, funded, and understood. Choosing participatory science helps clarify roles, supports inclusive collaboration, and respects the activist-led history of community science.
McLeod, P., Schuldt, J., Song, H., Crain, R., & Dickinson, J. (2025). Does Terminology Matter? Effects of the Citizen Science Label on Participation in a Wildlife Conservation Online Platform. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.5334/cstp.715
(*) Note that the term citizen science still appears on some of our pages. It has been in use since 1990 and remains widely recognized internationally. Many people are more familiar with citizen science than participatory science, so we often use the terms interchangeably to avoid confusion.
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