Skip to main content

Table 1 Summary of seven dimensions of participation

From: Disentangling Public Participation In Science and Biomedicine

Dimensions

Description

Representative scholarly literature

Contemporary cases that exemplify the participatory dimension

   

Strong

Weak

1. Educative dividend

Learning something valuable, especially learning how to participate effectively

[54, 78, 94]

Zooniverse, 23andMe

Match.com, BOINC

2. Goals and tasks

Participants not only undertake tasks but help set goals

[15, 43, 44, 67, 69, 95]

Linux/Linux Foundation; PXE International

Pinterest; current TV; Patients Like Me

3. Resource control

Participants get to control (own or use) resources, not merely produce them

[65, 96–99]

Second life; Mukurtu; SNPpedia

Patients Like Me

4. Exit

Capacity to leave without penalty and with resources

[79]

Global Voices; SNPpedia

Facebook

5. Voice

Opportunities to 'speak back' in order to influence outcomes

[79, 80]

Wikipedia; Apache

OKCupid

6. Visible metrics

Empirical demonstrations of the connection between participation and outcomes

[56, 85, 90]

Foldit; 23andMe

Revision 3

7. Affective/communicative capacity

Participants have opportunities to communicate amongst themselves to produce affect, affiliation, and sociability

[91–93]

Instagram; PXE international; Patients Like Me

Bitcoin

  1. Summary of seven dimensions of participation.