The Ladder of Power: Science Communication and Citizen Science

On March 28, 2022, the Journal of Science Communication published a special issue on participatory science communication featuring 15 papers and essays. The Journal of Science Communication special issue sparked a debate among the four editors over the wording of the call for papers. What is the difference between “participatory science communication” and “citizen science”? Are they different points along a continuum stretching from “simple” to “more involved”? Does “citizen science” incorporate “participatory science communication”? And is all citizen science participatory? A key consideration is the level of involvement by “citizens” in these endeavours, and that consideration translates to questions of power. This essay explores definitions of participatory science communication and citizen science. It examines each of these concepts through the framework of shifting relationships and the implicit power imbalance between scientists and various publics. In doing this, we revisited Sherry Arnstein’s (1969) paper, “A Ladder of Citizen Participation”, and constructed complementary ladders for science communication and citizen science.