BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//pretalx//ifkw.rz.tu-bs.de//citizen-science-communication-trust-20 26//speaker//XULYHH BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:CET BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20001029T040000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=10 TZNAME:CET TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20000326T030000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=3 TZNAME:CEST TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:pretalx-citizen-science-communication-trust-2026-PF7RDB@ifkw.rz.tu-bs.d e DTSTART;TZID=CET:20261006T093000 DTEND;TZID=CET:20261006T094500 DESCRIPTION:The Problem: the culture of science in Nigeria is not consolida ted. Science communication culture is characterised as fragile. Yet scienc e and technology steer nations out of socioeconomic downturns into a regim e of sustainable development (Batta & Iwok\, 2019). The participation of c itizens in science projects\, engagement in technological and innovative i nitiatives are indicative of the robustness of the science culture – a r eflection that experts are collaborating with citizens to deepen science a nd technology in society. However\, the extent to which these occur in Nig eria has scant empiricism because citizen science and science communicatio n researches are nascent. Therefore\, the interrogation of these questions now is cogent especially within university communities as centres of scie ntific inquiries. Research Questions: a. what is the level of citizen part icipation in science and technology projects in three university communiti es in Akwa Ibom State\, Nigeria? b. what factors encourage or discourage t he involvement of citizens in science and technology projects in universit y communities so identified? c. what is the relationship between engagemen t or non-engagement in science and technology projects\, and trust in scie nce within university communities under study? d. what best practices and communication strategies are germane to deepening citizen science practice s and trust in science and technology in the selected university communiti es. Literature: over the years\, citizen science research has provided sig nificant insights to aid understanding and improve praxis. Citizen science is a legitimate and epistemologically delineated means of knowledge produ ction and not simply an appendage of data collection (Strasser et al\, 201 9). The extent of participation of ordinary citizens in science and techno logy projects\, research has shown\, is structurally tiered and mainly sha llow with a greater majority of citizens operating marginally (Vasiliades et al\, 2021). The factors influencing citizen participation in science an d technology projects\, the literature shows that the psychological driver s that propel citizens to engage with science projects largely predicate p articipation rates\, retention\, and quality of contribution (West et al.\ , 2021). Furthermore\, research in trust in science indicates that active participation in knowledge production basically changes relationships to s cience as an authority (Bedessem\, et al.\, 2023). Research on best practi ces in citizen science shows that projects that deploy participatory desig n processes involving community members and scientists in raising research questions\, methods and execution have the greatest impact (Hacker et al\ , 2018). Likewise\, the research on communication strategies in citizen sc ience shows: a. dialogue\, participatory communication models\, not the de ficit model\, b. audience-specific\, tailored communication approaches\, c . narrative and storytelling methods that humanise science and technology researches\; d. community relationship management and sustained social eng agement\; e. transparent communication of impact and outcomes are the most effective (Golumbic et al\, 2020)\; Scheuffele\, 2018\; Fischhoff\, 2013\ ; Jackson et al\, 2024). Theoretical Framework: For Citizen Science to be effective\, ethical\, and communicative\; it is usually planked within the science in society theory\, an aspect of science-technology-society studi es. This conveys the tenets that citizen science projects must be inclusiv e\, adaptable\, sensitive\, safe\, and reciprocal (Rodriguez\, Bandezer\, & Navarro-fedreno\, 2024). Methodology: to realise the objectives of the s tudy and answer its research questions\, a literature review of methodolog ical surveys of citizen participation in science projects in three selecte d university communities in Akwa Ibom State\, Nigeria was conducted. The U niversity of Uyo\, Akwa Ibom State University\, and Topfaith University\, Mkpatak were purposively selected for the study to enable comparison of re sults. Also\, a questionnaire survey of a 400 sample of members of the thr ee university communities was undertaken about their participation and tru st in science. Furthermore\, in-depth interviews of 10 science researchers in the three selected university communities was conducted to: a. ascerta in the involvement of citizens in science projects\; b. identify the chall enges they face\; c. find out their perception of citizens in trust scienc e projects within the communities\; and\, d. evaluate their citizen scienc e communication strategies. Results and Implications: Preliminary results showed a minimal level of citizen involvement/participation in science pro jects in the university communities as well as weak science communication\ , deployment of some citizens science protocols\, and fair level of trust in science. Based on the findings\, recommendations are made to improve ci tizen science practice\, science/communication policy\, as well the commun ication of community science. DTSTAMP:20260721T202342Z LOCATION:Room 1 SUMMARY:Involvement of Citizens in Science Projects in Three University Com munities in a Nigerian State: Implications for Trust in Science and Scienc e Communication - Herbert Batta\, Borono Bassey\, Aniebo Samson URL:https://ifkw.rz.tu-bs.de/citizen-science-communication-trust-2026/talk/ PF7RDB/ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR