The ATRAP project in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda provides insights to the factors that shape citizen science practice in low- and medium-income countries (LMIC). 

By Muki Haklay, Editor, Community Science

Citizen science continues to spread across the world. It is becoming an acceptable and reliable practice to monitor and report on local conditions. Yet, it must adapt to local conditions and constraints – such as the profile of participants, their level of education, or the time that is available for them. So, how does citizen science adapt to Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC)?

In Ashepet et al. [2026], we learn from the ATRAP (Action Towards Reducing snail-borne Parasitic diseases) project, which focuses on the monitoring of snail-borne disease in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The researchers show how citizen science requires consideration such as material and social benefits for the participants, and how social structure and practices need to be taken into account. The paper also challenges the universality of the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) 10 principles of citizen science. 

Citation: Ashepet, M. G., Mulmi, J., Michellier, C., Jacobs, L., Pype, K., & Huyse, T. (2026). Citizen science principles in practice: Lessons from Uganda and the democratic Republic of Congo. Community Science, 5, e2025CSJ000149. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025CSJ000149