Doing research with communities affected by climate change: Climate-conscious methodologies matrix (for students and citizen scientists)
ModulesDoing research with communities affected by climate change: Climate-conscious methodologies matrix (for students and citizen scientists)
This micromodule focuses on the intersection of climate justice, community collaboration, and citizen science in research and innovation. Participants will use conversation cards inspired by Valeria Berseth and Angeline Letourneau's (2024) responsible research framework for ‘climate change-conscious methodologies. Applying these concepts to practical scenarios, the module encourages reflection on research methodologies that prioritize affected communities, foster fairness, and address shifting vulnerabilities in climate-related challenges.
By the end of this module, you should be able to:
Evaluate different approaches to research design in terms of fairness, inclusivity, and responsiveness to underrepresented communities.
Apply responsible research methods in citizen science or community engagement in climate-affected contexts.Introduction to the climate-conscious methodology matrix
Please go through the PowerPoint presentation
Mini quiz (climate-conscious methodology matrix)
Please complete the multiple answers mini quiz
Conversation cards
What is it about?
This matrix helps researchers, students, and citizen scientists make ethical and responsible decisions in research. It is especially useful when working with climate-related impacts (such as floods, heatwaves, or droughts), with vulnerable or affected communities.
The tool encourages you to ask good questions throughout all stages of your research (from the early design to communication of results) and helps you adapt your methods while keeping fairness, safety, and community needs at the centre.
Why is this important?
In a changing climate, traditional research methods may not work or may cause harm. Communities may be under stress. Researchers may face risks. By using the matrix, you can:
- Stay flexible, but still do high-quality research
- Respect local people and ecosystemsWhat is it about?
- Build trust through careful planning and honest communication
- Support climate justice by including affected voices in all stages of research
Card Deck - for students and citizen scientists (Research design)
Use you own research to reflect on the cards questions
OR use the
CASE STUDY EXAMPLE:
Rebuilding with Dignity: A Community Research Project After Flooding
What happened?
Heavy floods hit a neighbourhood called Las Marismas, on the edge of a Mediterranean city. The area is low-lying and often gets flooded. This time, more than 1,500 people had to leave their homes. The hardest hit were people living in informal houses near the river, including undocumented migrants, single mothers, and older residents.
How do people feel?
Many people in the neighbourhood don’t trust local authorities or researchers. In the past, they were promised help that never came. Some say they’ve been treated unfairly or only used for data in research projects without seeing any real benefits.
What is the new project about?
A group of researchers from different countries is working on a project funded by the EU Green Deal programme. The goal is to co-create low-cost solutions to make the area more prepared for future floods. They want to work with the community, not just study them.
The project includes:
- Better early-warning systems for floods,
- Nature-based solutions to help manage water (like green spaces or plant-based barriers),
- New ways of making decisions that include the voices of local people.
Who is involved?
The team includes:
- Environmental engineers (they study flooding and infrastructure),
- Social scientists (they look at community and behaviour),
- Public health researchers (they study health risks), and
- Local facilitators (people who help connect researchers and residents).
Imagine you are part of the team involved in this research. Your task is to use the cards to anticipate and address potential ethical and methodological challenges throughout the project.
For each card, use the scenario to:
- Reflect on how the question applies in this setting.
- Identify possible tensions or risks (e.g., exclusion, harm, extractivism).
- Propose a climate-just, community-informed course of action.
Card Deck - for students and citizen scientists (Research design)
Card Deck - for students and citizen scientists (Assessment + Measurement strategies)
Use you own research to reflect on the cards questions
OR use the scenario described above to:
- Reflect on how the question applies in this setting.
- Identify possible tensions or risks (e.g., exclusion, harm, extractivism).
- Propose a climate-just, community-informed course of action.
Card Deck - for students and citizen scientists (Assessment + Measurement strategies)
Card Deck - for students and citizen scientists (Data evaluation and interpretation)
Use you own research to reflect on the cards questions
OR use the scenario described above to:
- Reflect on how the question applies in this setting.
- Identify possible tensions or risks (e.g., exclusion, harm, extractivism).
- Propose a climate-just, community-informed course of action.
Card Deck - for students and citizen scientists (Data evaluation and interpretation)
Card Deck - for students and citizen scientists (Ethical issues and scientific integrity)
Use you own research to reflect on the cards questions
OR use the scenario described above to:
- Reflect on how the question applies in this setting.
- Identify possible tensions or risks (e.g., exclusion, harm, extractivism).
- Propose a climate-just, community-informed course of action.
Card Deck - for students and citizen scientists (Ethical issues and scientific integrity)
Card Deck - for students and citizen scientists (Communication of research findings)
Use you own research to reflect on the cards questions
OR use the scenario described above to:
- Reflect on how the question applies in this setting.
- Identify possible tensions or risks (e.g., exclusion, harm, extractivism).
- Propose a climate-just, community-informed course of action.
