This paper examines the methodological aspects of citizen social science through the lens of participatory research. It introduces the 'research forum'—a moderated communicative space—as a means to facilitate co-researcher participation across all research phases. The authors argue that such a space is crucial for fostering citizen engagement in knowledge production related to their social lives. Drawing on experiences with multigenerational co-housing projects, the paper analyzes the research forum across four dimensions: opening spaces for social encounters; establishing communicative practices; initiating social self-understanding; and engaging in (counter-)public discourses. Finally, it summarizes the potential and challenges of the research forum as a methodological foundation for co-creation in citizen social science.

Stefan Thomas, David Scheller, Susan Schröder