Citizen Science

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Quality Of Data ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Science Theory ◽  
Do It Yourself ◽  
The 19Th Century

During the past decade the number of citizen science projects around the world has surged. Today there are thousands of initiatives catalogued in databases such as SciStarter.org and EU-Citizen.science, enterprises of which the majority are directly or indirectly linked to scientific research projects. However, citizen science is not a completely novel way of conducting collaborative research; it has been around since the beginning of the scientific revolution and historical data collected by volunteers from the 19th century is used in contemporary research. While citizen science has been most widely used in biodiversity research, conservation, and environmental sciences in need of large-scale observations and monitoring, the approach has today entered a very diverse set of disciplines ranging from the humanities and the social sciences to geography, astronomy, epidemiology, and do-it-yourself technology research. This is largely a consequence of the recent rise and diffusion of digital technologies and communities, notably the Zooniverse.org platform, which makes online classificatory citizen science projects possible at a feasible cost and with a low barrier for mass participation. Consequently, citizen science as a method for collecting and classifying data is in its current state a research design applicable to more or less any empirical line of inquiry. However, volunteer participation in science requires additional considerations to be made that address issues such as the quality of data collected or classified by nonscientists, research ethics concerning attribution and participation in the research design, and ownership of data and results. Furthermore, the expectations of impact may differ between the scientific goals and the participating public’s desire for changes in, for example, environmental policy or species conservation. In 2016 the journal Citizen Science Theory and Practice was launched by the Citizen Science Association, in which current research on the phenomenon is published.

scholarly journals Next-generation ultrasonic recorders facilitate effective bat activity and distribution monitoring by citizen scientists

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piia Lundberg ◽  
Melissa Meierhofer ◽  
Ville Vasko ◽  
Miina Suutari ◽  
Ann Ojala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Quality Of Data ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
Bat Activity ◽  
Science Projects

Time and budgetary resources are often a limiting factor in the collection of large-scale ecological data. If data collected by citizen scientists were comparable to data collected by researchers, it would allow for more efficient data collection over a broad geographic area. Here, we compare the quality of data on bat activity collected by citizens (high school students and teachers) and researchers. Both researchers and citizen scientists used the same comprehensive instructions when choosing study sites. We found no differences in total bat activity minutes recorded by citizens and researchers. Instead, citizen scientists collected data from a wider variety of habitats than researchers. Involvement of citizens also increased the geographical coverage of data collection, resulting in the northernmost documentation of the Nathusius pipistrelle so far in Finland. Therefore, bat research can benefit from the use of citizen science when participants are given precise instructions and calibrated data collection equipment. Citizen science projects also have other far-reaching benefits, increasing, for example, the scientific literacy and interest in natural sciences of citizens. Involving citizens in science projects also has the potential to enhance their willingness to conserve nature.

Birding, Citizen Science, and Wildlife Conservation in Sociological Perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Cherry
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Sociological Research ◽  
Sociological Perspective ◽  
Quality Of Data ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Nonhuman Animals ◽  
In The Wild

Abstract Sociological research on wildlife typically looks at how nonhuman animals in the wild are hunted, poached, or captured for entertainment, or how they play a symbolic role in people’s lives. Within sociology, little research exists on how people appreciate nonhuman animals in the wild, and how people contribute to wildlife conservation. I explore birding-related citizen science projects in the US. Citizen science refers to scientific projects carried out by amateurs. Literature on citizen science focuses on the perspective of professional scientists, with the assumption that only professional scientists are concerned with the quality of data from citizen science projects. The research showed birders share this skepticism, but they still find satisfaction in participating in citizen science projects. This paper contributes to sociological understandings of wildlife conservation by showing how birders’ participation in citizen science projects helps professional scientists study environmental problems such as climate change and its effects on wildlife.

scholarly journals Citizen Science on Twitter: Using Data Analytics to Understand Conversations and Networks

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 210
Author(s):  
Suvodeep Mazumdar ◽  
Dhavalkumar Thakker
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Term Study ◽  
The Public ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Science Activities

This paper presents a long-term study on how the public engage with discussions around citizen science and crowdsourcing topics. With progress in sensor technologies and IoT, our cities and neighbourhoods are increasingly sensed, measured and observed. While such data are often used to inform citizen science projects, it is still difficult to understand how citizens and communities discuss citizen science activities and engage with citizen science projects. Understanding these engagements in greater depth will provide citizen scientists, project owners, practitioners and the generic public with insights around how social media can be used to share citizen science related topics, particularly to help increase visibility, influence change and in general and raise awareness on topics. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first large-scale study on understanding how such information is discussed on Twitter, particularly outside the scope of individual projects. The paper reports on the wide variety of topics (e.g., politics, news, ecological observations) being discussed on social media and a wide variety of network types and the varied roles played by users in sharing information in Twitter. Based on these findings, the paper highlights recommendations for stakeholders for engaging with citizen science topics.

scholarly journals Análise do atual cenário da pesquisa científica sobre a ciência cidadã no campo da ciência da informação

2020 ◽  
pp. 26-32
Author(s):  
Erika Rayanne Silva de Carvalho ◽  
Fernando César Lima Leite
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Scientific Training ◽  
Large Scale Data ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Disciplinary Diversity

This article aimed to analyze studies that constitute the current research scenario on Citizen Science in the field of the Information Science, as presented in the scientific literature. This is a bibliographic research in which the Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA) database was used for data collection. After careful evaluation, eleven papers were selected to compose the study. The results achieved point out that there is disciplinary diversity in Citizen Science projects, there is an opportune context for libraries to conduct scientific training practices, several factors influence the participation of citizens in scientific projects, the domain of citizens over digital resources is highly relevant in Citizen Science projects and the citizen participation in scientific projects seems to turn around large-scale data collection, which does not necessarily reflect the collaborative potential of these citizens.

Can we use citizen science to upscale soil data collection?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Schneider ◽  
Susanne Döhler ◽  
Luise Ohmann ◽  
Ute Wollschläger
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Ph Value ◽  
Scientific Progress ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Quality Of Data ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Management Procedures ◽  
Tea Bag Index ◽  
Scientific Project

<p>Citizen science approaches are still relatively rare in soil sciences. However, the Tea Bag Index (TBI) has been successfully implemented in projects all over the world.</p><p>Our citizen science project “Expedition ERDreich – Mit Teebeuteln den Boden erforschen” (EE) aims to upscale open soil data by applying the TBI as well as other soil assessment methods all over Germany. Beside the strong focus on creating awareness for soils and its functions we want to answer the following questions:</p><ol><li> <p>Is it possible to upscale citizen science projects to obtain large quantities of open soil data?</p> </li> <li> <p>Are soil datasets from citizen science projects of sufficient quality to be used in soil science and for soil modeling?</p> </li> </ol><p>The project will combine aspects of co-production as well as environmental education. Co-production means, soil data will individually be compiled by citizen scientists with the support of a team of scientists from a network of project partners. While conducting various soil assessments and experiments participating citizen scientists will be given background information and guidance meant to educate and to raise awareness about soils and soil quality.</p><p>We are aiming to involve a broad spectrum of citizens from various backgrounds, for example school children, students, farmers, forest owners, gardeners, municipal administrations, and of course soil scientists.</p><p>Within the project citizen scientists will submit turnover data from their location, together with information on the sampling sites, as well as information on soil properties like pH value, soil texture, and soil color. This information will be complemented with climatic and geo-scientific co-variables by the scientific project team.</p><p>So far we identified the following main challenges:</p><ul><li> <p>How can citizens from various backgrounds and in various geographical locations be addressed and involved in the project?</p> </li> <li> <p>How do we get high quality soil data while still teaching soil awareness?</p> </li> <li> <p>How do we address the complexity of soils in soil education?</p> </li> <li> <p>How do we manage the quality of data and identify potential errors?</p> </li> <li> <p>How do we communicate data management procedures to keep the project as transparent as possible?</p> </li> <li> <p>What and how can we give back an added value to citizen scientists?</p> </li> </ul><ul><li> <p>How do we involve citizen scientists in the scientific progress beyond collecting data and beyond the current projects timeframe?</p> </li> </ul>

scholarly journals Cloud-based Software Platforms for Citizen Science: Implications and opportunities for biodiversity standards

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Brenton
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Quality Of Data ◽  
The Public ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
Metadata Standards ◽  
Software Platforms ◽  
Functional Software ◽  
The Cost

Whether community created and driven, or developed and run by researchers, most citizen science projects operate on minimalistic budgets, their capacity to invest in fully featured bespoke software and databases is usually very limited. Further, the increasing number of applications and citizen science options available for public participation creates a confusing situation to navigate. Cloud-based platforms such as BioCollect, iNaturalist, eBird, CitSci.org, and Zooniverse, provide an opportunity for citizen science projects to leverage highly featured functional software capabilities at a fraction of the cost of developing their own, as well as a common channel through which the public can find and access projects. These platforms are also excellent vehicles to facilitate the implementation of data and metadata standards, which streamline interoperability and data sharing. Such services can also embed measures in their design, which uplift the descriptions and quality of data outputs, significantly amplifying their usability and value. In this presentation I outline the experiences of the Atlas of Living Australia on these issues and demonstrate how we are tackling them with the BioCollect and iNaturalist platforms. We also consider the differences and similarities of these two platforms with respect to standards and data structures in relation to suitability for different use cases. You are invited to join a discussion on approaches being adopted and offer insights for improved outcomes.

Operational Art

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Matheny
Keyword(s):  
World War I ◽  
19Th Century ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
The United States ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Irregular Warfare ◽  
World War ◽  
Operational Level ◽  
Operational Art ◽  
The 19Th Century

The art of warfare is practiced in three levels: the strategic, operational, and tactical. Operational art refers to the military commander’s employment of force in a theater of operations to achieve strategic objectives. Operational art is inextricably linked to the planning and conduct of military campaigns in specific theaters of war, which distinguishes it from tactics and strategy. Strategy and tactics have long been studied and described, but the third level of war, the operational level, began to emerge only in the 19th century as nations began to field ever-larger armies. The maneuver of large armies or multiple armies required commanders to orchestrate large-scale maneuvers in the theater of war. During the Napoleonic Wars the aim of this maneuver was the pursuit of the decisive battle, such as Austerlitz and Waterloo. By World War I, it was clear that single battles could not yield strategic results. The armies were simply too large for single decisive battles to provide political results, and so campaigns designed to arrange a series of battles became necessary. During the interwar years, practitioners and theorists from several countries began to formalize theories of operational art. The roots of modern operational art can be traced back to World War I in which the conduct of operations in three dimensions became necessary. Historians have largely overlooked the operational level of war, but to the extent it has been studied, there is a good deal of debate on when, how, and why operational art developed. Scholarship on operational art generally falls into several categories that include current military theorists, schools of thought on the development of operational art, and campaign studies. Some historians assert that the roots of operational art lay with the development of the Prusso-German school in the 19th century. Other historians emphasize the Soviet interwar theorists as the preeminent authors of the concept. A much smaller number of scholars point to the United States contribution to operational art. In general, the study of operational art may be divided into the various schools of thought on the development of operational art, theory, and practice. Although the origins and practice of operational art have long been linked to large-scale conventional military operations, the advent of irregular warfare since 1945 has sparked a debate about the role of operational art in irregular warfare. Theorists, practitioners, and historians have wrestled with the concept of operational art in small wars and counterinsurgency. This recent interest peaked due to US counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

scholarly journals Citizens, Scientists, and Enablers: A Tripartite Model for Citizen Science Projects

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 309
Author(s):  
Rhian A. Salmon ◽  
Samuel Rammell ◽  
Myfanwy T. Emeny ◽  
Stephen Hartley
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Nature Of Science ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Tripartite Model ◽  
Science Project ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Emerging Issues ◽  
Citizen Science Project

In this paper, we focus on different roles in citizen science projects, and their respective relationships. We propose a tripartite model that recognises not only citizens and scientists, but also an important third role, which we call the ‘enabler’. In doing so, we acknowledge that additional expertise and skillsets are often present in citizen science projects, but are frequently overlooked in associated literature. We interrogate this model by applying it to three case studies and explore how the success and sustainability of a citizen science project requires all roles to be acknowledged and interacting appropriately. In this era of ‘wicked problems’, the nature of science and science communication has become more complex. In order to address critical emerging issues, a greater number of stakeholders are engaging in multi-party partnerships and research is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary. Within this context, explicitly acknowledging the role and motivations of everyone involved can provide a framework for enhanced project transparency, delivery, evaluation and impact. By adapting our understanding of citizen science to better recognise the complexity of the organisational systems within which they operate, we propose an opportunity to strengthen the collaborative delivery of both valuable scientific research and public engagement.

scholarly journals Analyzing indoor mycobiomes through a large‐scale citizen science study in Norway

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro M. Martin‐Sanchez ◽  
Eva‐Lena F. Estensmo ◽  
Luis N. Morgado ◽  
Sundy Maurice ◽  
Ingeborg B. Engh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Science Study

Multinational Enterprises and the Globalization of Medicine: Siemens and the Business of X-ray Equipment in Non-Western Markets, 1900–1939

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 820-848
Author(s):  
Pierre-Yves Donzé
Keyword(s):  
International Organizations ◽  
Multinational Enterprises ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Multinational Enterprise ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Great Difficulty ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Hospital Development ◽  
Slight Growth ◽  
The 19Th Century

Whereas the globalization of medicine since the middle of the 19th century has primarily been approached as the sociopolitical and cultural outcome of imperialism, this article argues that Western big business also played a major role through the worldwide export of standardized medical technologies. It focuses on the expansion of Siemens on the X-ray equipment market in non-Western countries during the first half of the twentieth century. This German multinational enterprise experienced slight growth from the mid-1920s onwards but relied mainly on two markets (Argentina and Brazil). It specialized in providing large-scale equipment to a few urban hospitals and engaged during the 1930s in large-scale hospital development together with local authorities and international organizations in various countries (China, Peru, and Central Africa). However, Siemens had great difficulty in expanding its business to include private doctors and inland outlets, where it faced intense competition from other Western X-ray producers. This paper emphasizes that this shortcoming stemmed from a direct application of the European strategy (high-quality, expensive equipment for hospitals) to non-Western markets, where health systems differed.

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