Science by the People

AYA H. KIMURA is a professor of sociology at University of Hawai`i-Manoa. She is the author of Radiation Brain Moms and Citizen Scientists: The Gender Politics of Food Contamination after Fukushima (Duke University Press, 2016).ABBY KINCHY is an associate professor of Science and Technology Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the author of Seeds, Science, and Struggle: The Global Politics of Transgenic Crops (MIT Press, 2012).

“With cutbacks in government funding for regulatory science and roll-backs on regulations, there is going to be growing pressure for citizens to fill in the void with research and documentation. This book presents a much-needed overview of the dilemmas faced by citizen science groups. With detailed case studies on fracking, genetically modified foods, and nuclear radiation contamination, The Politics of Citizen Science will prove valuable for students, researchers, and citizen scientists.”- David J Hess (Vanderbilt University) "Departing from the usual hype around citizen science, Science by the People takes a hard look at how science works--or doesn't--for citizens trying to improve their environments. Essential reading for scholars and practitioners alike." - Gwen Ottinger (Refining Expertise: How Responsible Engineers Subvert Environmental Justice Challenges) "'Meet RPI Professor at upcoming book signing' - interview with Abby Kincy" by Heather Kovarhttps://cbs6albany.com/news/local/meet-rpi-professor-at-upcoming-book-signing (CBS 6 Sunday Morning News Albany) "By unpacking the politics of citizen science, this book aims to help people negotiate a complex political landscape and choose paths moving toward social change and environmental sustainability."(ASA Environmental Sociology News) "While avoiding both cynicism and celebration, Kimura and Kinchy here suggest ways that citizen science can address dilemmas and meaningfully involve people who have been excluded from science." (Choice) "The issues Kimura and Kinchy raise in their book, including volunteering, taking a stand, contextualizing data, and shifting scales encourage citizen scientists to think critically. Although their book raises difficult issues, these issues are presented in a way that is accessible to many."  (Science Connected Magazine)

• Preface1 Environmental Citizen Science: Virtues and Dilemmas2 How is Environmental Citizen Science Political?3 Investigating the Impacts of Fracking4 Detecting Radiation5 Tracking Genetically Engineered CopsConclusion: A Vision of Science by and for the PeopleAppendix: Resources for Getting Involved in Citizen ScienceNotesBibliographyIndexAbout the Authors