FAQ

CoCareSociety is both a research group and a research project. CoCareSociety stands for Co-creating Climate Services for Care Economy and Caring Society.

Climate services are products and services that provide decision-makers with information about the changing environment. With the help of climate services, both citizens and institutions can make better decisions. In Germany, climate services are developed and offered for example by Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS).

The term nexus means connection or linkages (Nexus Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster). In our research, we often use it in the context of the health-climate-energy nexus, as our work focus on connections between these topics.

The CoCare Labs are Living Labs, in our case test environments, where research results and findings are tested under real conditions. A central element of a Living Lab is the collaboration between stakeholders, users and scientists, as in the case of Citizen Science. The concept Living Lab consists on different components. Firstly, co-developing the experimental concepts and ideas. Secondly, implementing the concepts on a small scale under real conditions. This is important, since the research results should ultimately benefit society.

The definition of Citizen Science varies. As our research group is based at Helmholtz-Zentrum hereon/Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS), our work is mainly based on the German understanding of citizen science.

In our research process, Citizen Science stands for the engagement of any individuals – also individual practitioners such as health care professionals – who are not institutionally bound in the scientific field in question. The aim of every Citizen Science project is to generate new knowledge together. In order to participate, citizen scientists do not need any previous experience with the scientific process. All are welcome to join!