What do Kimura and Kinchy emphasize about participatory science?

• A. It guarantees equal power among participants.
• B. It can democratize expertise but may still concentrate authority.
• C. It eliminates traditional scientific institutions.
• D. It has no impact on knowledge production.

Answer: (B)

Participatory science involves broadening who can contribute to research and redefining who counts as an expert. It can bring in local knowledge, citizen input, and diverse perspectives, which can change what questions get asked and how findings are used. But the power to design studies, set methods, control data, and decide how results are shared and acted on often remains with professional scientists, funders, and institutions. That mix—the potential to democratize expertise alongside ongoing concentration of authority—is what Kimura and Kinchy are highlighting.

So, the idea isn’t that everyone has equal control automatically, nor that traditional institutions disappear, nor that participation has no impact. Rather, participatory science can broaden participation and legitimacy, while power dynamics can still privilege established actors.