{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,17]],"date-time":"2026-02-17T20:37:57Z","timestamp":1771360677866,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,1]],"date-time":"2017-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1504224000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJGI"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Although data is increasingly shared online and accessible for re-use, we still witness heterogeneous coverage of thematic areas and geographic regions. This especially becomes an issue when data is needed for large territories and including different nations, as, for example, required to support macro-regional development policies. Once identified, data gaps might be closed using different approaches. Existing\u2014but so far non accessible\u2014data might be made available; new public sector information could be gathered; or data might be acquired from the private sector. Our work explores a fourth option: closing data gaps with direct contributions from citizen (Citizen Science). This work summarizes a particular case study that was conducted in 2016 in the Danube Region. We provide a gap analysis over an existing macro-regional data infrastructure, and examine potential Citizen Science approaches that might help to close these gaps. We highlight already existing Citizen Science projects that could address a large part of the identified gaps, and suggest one particular new application in order to indicate how a\u2014so far uncovered\u2014gap might be approached. This new application addresses bioenergy as a particular field of the circular economy. On this basis we discuss the emerging opportunities and challenges for this particular way of public participation in regional development policy. We close by highlighting areas for future research.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijgi6090277","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,1]],"date-time":"2017-09-01T11:05:24Z","timestamp":1504263924000},"page":"277","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Closing Data Gaps with Citizen Science? Findings from the Danube Region"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"Josip","family":"Lisjak","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"City of Po\u017eega, Department for Communal System and Management, Po\u017eega HR-34000, Croatia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5677-5209","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sven","family":"Schade","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Digital Economy Unit, Ispra 21027, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0411-741X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alexander","family":"Kotsev","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Digital Economy Unit, Ispra 21027, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2017, February 10). 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