CoActD4.3: Inclusive Toolbox for Citizen Social Science

DISCLAIMER: The present Project Deliverable has been submitted to the European Commission for review. The information and views set out in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Neither the European Union institutions and bodies nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.  

CoAct (Co-designing Citizen Social Science for Collective Action) proposes a new understanding of Citizen Social Science (CSS) as participatory research co-designed and directly driven by citizens and citizen groups who share a social concern. As part of this project, the R&I Action on Youth Employment is conducting participatory research with young people in Vienna, Austria, who are taking part in educational measures within the framework of Education and Training up to 18 (E&T up to 18). 

Based on this collaborative research, the Inclusive Toolbox for Citizen Social Science was developed by the research team at the Department of Education of the University of Vienna. Its target group is young people who can use the Toolbox without the assistance of scientists or adult trainers. The Toolbox consists of two tools as a means for making social science research on education and employment experiential for adolescents and young adults. The first tool is a game playable via the app Actionbound. It offers a step-by-step guide through a small social science research process: finding a research topic, posing questions and doing initial research, collecting data and analysing it, and handling issues about disseminating the findings. The second tool is a board game that allows young people to learn and experience social research through the game. It incorporates aspects of social science research (such as collecting data, coding, and doing research) and introduces information and research results concerning education and employment. The game is based on the co-research process with young people in R&I Action #2.  

This Deliverable D4.3 Inclusive Toolbox for Citizen Social Science describes the tools of the Toolbox, the development processes as well as includes practical examples and reflections.