Researchers now have improved support for utilizing the citizen research panel

The University of Turku’s citizen research panel has developed its operations over the summer and fall. An interim evaluation identified a need to improve training for researchers and to enhance the transparency of collaboration between researchers and citizens.

In early 2026, researchers who had utilized the citizen research panel during the fall of 2025 were consulted regarding their experiences and suggestions for improving the panel’s operations. Based on the interviews, it was found that training for the Citizen Research Panel needs to be developed to address issues related to the status and role of panelists.

Citizen participation in conducting research alongside researchers is relatively new in many academic disciplines. Practices regarding the status and treatment of panelists are not as well-established as those for research participants. For many researchers, collaborating with citizens through the citizen research panel is a first-time experience.

– “We realized that we need to provide researchers with sufficient support to take ethical considerations into account, while at the same time keeping the panel activities as clear, smooth, and accessible as possible,” says Project Director Tella Lantta.

The role of citizen research panelists is, in principle, comparable to that of research group members; therefore, research data is not collected from them. However, it is possible to collect research data from panelists.

– “The researcher needs to consider and decide in advance what role the panelists will play in the panel task, how the information and outputs generated will be utilized, and what common ground rules will govern the collaboration,” Lantta continues.

To this end, the project has expanded the training provided to the citizen research panel. The new training content—covering the role and treatment of panelists, as well as the outcomes of panel work—helps researchers reflect on and define these issues before collaborating with panelists.

In addition, the project has introduced a new collaboration agreement between researchers and participants into the panel assignment process.

– In the collaboration agreement, the researcher outlines the panel task’s objective, working method, the roles and commitments of the researchers and panelists, as well as the panel’s output, its preservation, and its use. “Researchers and panelists accept the agreement before the panel assignment begins,” says Development Manager Sanni Helander.

Feedback on the new training content and the collaboration agreement is collected from researchers and citizens to identify areas for further development.