The ethics of citizen science in biomedicine

Background: Research in biomedicine and healthcare increasingly includes participatory initiatives and harnesses direct contributions from lay citizens in terms of data, samples, expertise and cognitive capacities. Many such practices are called 'citizen science' (CS). In our research project, (1) we explore the diversity of CS initiatives in biomedicine, including their underlying motivations and their main typologies; (2) describe and discuss emerging ethical challenges due to CS. Methodology: On the basis of a literature and websites review, we identified “stakes” associated with CS, i.e. reasons that explain…