What is Citizen Science?

Citizen science describes the participation of individuals who are not institutionally affiliated with the scientific community in scientific processes. This participation can range from short-term data collection to intensive use of free time to delve deeper into a research topic together with scientists and/or other volunteers. Although many volunteer researchers have academic training, this is not a prerequisite for participation in research projects. However, it is important to adhere to scientific standards, which include, above all, transparency with regard to data collection methods and public discussion of the results. - Green Paper Citizen Science Strategy 2020 for Germany




Urban gaps – a citizen science project in the Middle Rhine Valley

Vacancy trends and the problem of urban gaps have been well researched in Germany. However, research tends to focus on (large) urban phenomena, while studies on rural regions and smaller towns are few and far between. Although widespread vacancy rates in Rhineland-Palatinate do not appear to be a characteristic problem at first glance, there are certainly affected locations at the local level. For example, municipalities in the upper Middle Rhine Valley have higher vacancy rates than the state average. St. Goar, St. Goarshausen and Kaub are three small-town municipalities in the Middle Rhine Valley where municipal planning has identified challenges posed by vacancy phenomena, which could potentially impair tourist value in addition to urban ‘devaluation’.

Adapting urban spaces to climate change – sub-project: social science support

In the project Adapting Urban Areas to Climate Change, the Department of Education with a focus on Research and Development in Organisations at the University of Koblenz is responsible for the social science aspects. In particular, this involves the development of alternative forms of participation, including citizen science, in order to make adaptation processes more cooperative and target group-oriented.

Weitergedenken

Discover the BEFEM project: ‘Memories may change, but they must never be lost’ #weitergedenken, which aims to conduct fascinating citizen science research into the family histories of locals and migrants and their connection to Nazi history. Immerse yourself in the exciting world of research and let's explore the past together. Learn more about our innovative approaches to reappraising history and how we preserve memory in an ever-changing world. #weitergedenken – a hashtag that calls on us to keep memories alive. Join in and become part of this unique initiative to uncover the past!

Love Letter Archive

The Love Letter Archive, based in Koblenz and Darmstadt, has set itself the task of archiving private and authentic love messages from the civilian population. These include classic love letters, postcards, fax messages, emails, but also messenger messages, graffiti and much more. Individual letters or entire correspondences from past times to the present day are collected. In our love letter archive, the love messages are collected, scanned, catalogued and archived. In cooperation with the Technical University of Darmstadt, the love letters are digitised in order to make them accessible to science and society in the long term and to preserve them permanently.

KuLaDig Rhineland-Palatinate

Making cultural history visible, tangible and usable. Research project on the digitisation of cultural heritage in Rhineland-Palatinate Every municipality, no matter how small, has its own special cultural heritage that shapes local identity. The aim of the research, funding and model project ‘Digital recording and presentation of cultural landscapes in Rhineland-Palatinate (KuLaDig-RLP)’ is to systematically record the cultural diversity in Rhineland-Palatinate and, through digital and multimedia processing of selected objects, make it visible and usable in everyday life in a variety of ways, for locals and outsiders alike.

Mittelrhein Eduventure

The Mittelrhein-Eduventure – The Next Step project presents locations in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley World Heritage Site (WOM) in digital form, allowing visitors to experience them interactively. An Eduventure is a modern, game-oriented approach to digital knowledge transfer that combines aspects of education and adventure. It is not only intended to enable visitors to explore interesting places in the WOM in an attractive way from a leisure and tourism perspective. An Eduventure should also motivate the acquisition of knowledge on topics relevant to BUGA 2029 and the WOM.