Exploring the public’s multidimensional relationship with science: how does citizen science fit in?
Data files
Jul 16, 2026 version files 3.07 MB
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CitizenScienceSurvey_VariableCodebook.pdf
908.01 KB
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PublicPerspectivesCitizenScience_DatasetNoID.xlsx
2.16 MB
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README.md
2.65 KB
Abstract
Cultivating positive relationships between the public and scientific communities requires understanding how diverse populations relate to science and what strategies promote favorable outcomes. In 2021, using a demographically diverse online survey of residents of the United States (N = 1854) and the United Kingdom (N = 411), we evaluated the public’s relationship with science by examining science beliefs (perceived credibility and value of science) and science connections (science interest, self-efficacy, belonging, and identity). We also assessed participation in citizen science, demographic correlates of participation in citizen science, and public perceptions of other terms used to describe citizen science (e.g., community science, civic science, participatory research). This dataset contains responses related to all of those variables, but a variety of potential demographic predictors.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.x3ffbg7zs
Description of the data and file structure
This dataset consists of data from a nationally representative survey of the general public in the United States (N = 1854) and the United Kingdom (N = 411). We administered our survey in two waves using a Qualtrics XM web-based panel of individuals living in the U.S. and the U.K. Responses were collected February 19–27, 2021 (first wave) and October 19–23, 2021 (second wave). In the United States, we supplemented our nationally representative sample with quota sampling for race and ethnicity (at least 20% of responses for White, Hispanic, Black, and Asian communities) to ensure adequate inclusion of historically marginalized populations. Respondents who were recruited through Qualtrics XM provided written consent to participate in our study and were directed to our survey. Prior to data collection, the study protocol was approved by the NC State University Institutional Review Board (IRB Protocol # 23820).
Files and variables
File: PublicPerspectivesCitizenScience_DatasetNoID.xlsx
Description: All survey responses from the U.S. and U.K.
Variables
For a full description of variables, see the codebook. This dataset generally contains variables related to:
- Perceptions of different terms used to describe citizen science
- Citizen science participation
- Barriers to participation in citizen science
- Public perceptions of science (beliefs and attitudes towards science)
- Demographic attributes (gender, race, age); note that some demographic variables in the original dataset (education, language, geographic location, etc.) were deleted due to public access data requirements
File: CitizenScienceSurvey_VariableCodebook.pdf
Description: Codebook of all variables in the dataset, including coding values and descriptive statistics.
Code/software
This Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) data file can be opened with virtually any statistically software program.
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data:
- N/A
Data was derived from the following sources:
- N/A
For more information about the dataset, contact the authors.
Human subjects data
All survey data was reported anonymously, and our research team received explicit consent from participants to publish the de-identified data in the public domain. The research protocol was approved by the NC State University Institutional Review Board (IRB Protocol # 20934).