Table 2 The defining characteristics of citizen science

Conducted under a research framework

• Community involvement in scientific research

• Involvement in data collection

Nature of involvement

• 'Active' involvement

• Involvement throughout projects (e.g. through multiple project phases, or from the outset)

Leadership and governance

• More community-led or bottom-up

• Loose or flexible approach

Democratisation of knowledge production and solutions generation

• Community seen as a "genuine stakeholder"

• A more democratising and empowering approach