scholarly journals Seeing rare birds where there are none: self-rated expertise predicts correct species identification, but also more false rarities

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nils Bouillard ◽  
Rachel White ◽  
Hazel Jackson ◽  
Gail Austen ◽  
Julia Schroeder
Keyword(s):  
Species Identification ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Rare Species ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Reliable Predictor ◽  
Crowdsourced Data ◽  
Correct Species Identification

The use of crowdsourced data is growing rapidly, particularly in ornithology. Citizen science greatly contributes to our knowledge, however, little is known about the reliability of data collected in that way. We found, using an online picture quiz, that self-proclaimed expert birders were more likely to misidentify common British bird species as exotic or rare species, compared to people who rated their own expertise more modestly. This finding suggests that records of rare species should always be considered with caution even if the reporters consider themselves to be experts. In general, however, we show that self-rated expertise in bird identification skills is a reliable predictor of correct species identification. Implementing the collection of data on self-rated expertise is easy and low-cost. We therefore suggest it as a useful tool to statistically account for variability in bird identification skills of citizen science participants and to improve the accuracy of identification data collected by citizen science projects. Edited: broken link fixed (12/3/2019)

Scientific data from and for the citizen

First Monday ◽  
2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Schade ◽  
Chrisa Tsinaraki ◽  
Elena Roglia
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Data Access ◽  
General Information ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Research Topic ◽  
Data Preservation ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Wide Range

Powered by advances of technology, today’s Citizen Science projects cover a wide range of thematic areas and are carried out from local to global levels. This wealth of activities creates an abundance of data, for example, in the forms of observations submitted by mobile phones; readings of low-cost sensors; or more general information about peoples’ activities. The management and possible sharing of this data has become a research topic in its own right. We conducted a survey in the summer of 2015 in order to collectively analyze the state of play in Citizen Science. This paper summarizes our main findings related to data access, standardization and data preservation. We provide examples of good practices in each of these areas and outline actions to address identified challenges.

scholarly journals Crowdsourced data for flood hydrology: Feedback from recent citizen science projects in Argentina, France and New Zealand

2016 ◽  
Vol 541 ◽  
pp. 766-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jérôme Le Coz ◽  
Antoine Patalano ◽  
Daniel Collins ◽  
Nicolás Federico Guillén ◽  
Carlos Marcelo García ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Crowdsourced Data ◽  
Flood Hydrology

scholarly journals Transformative Potential and Learning Outcomes of Air Quality Citizen Science Projects in High Schools Using Low-Cost Sensors

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 736
Author(s):  
Sonja Grossberndt ◽  
Antonella Passani ◽  
Giulia Di Lisio ◽  
Annelli Janssen ◽  
Nuria Castell
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
World View ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Sensor Systems ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Transformative Potential ◽  
The Impact

The rise of advanced ICT technologies has made it possible to apply low-cost sensor systems for measuring air quality in citizen science projects, including education. High school students in Norway used these sensor systems in a citizen science project to design, carry out, and evaluate their own research projects on air quality. An impact assessment framework was designed to assess the impact of these activities, considering five areas of impact: scientific, social, economic, political, and environmental. In addition, the framework also considers the transformative potential of the citizen science pilot, i.e., the degree to which the pilot can help to change, alter, or replace current systems, and the business-as-usual in one or more fields such as knowledge production or environmental protection. Data for this assessment were gathered in the form of questionnaires that the students had to complete before starting and after finalizing the pilot activities. The results showed positive impacts on learning, a pro-environmental world view, and an increase in pro-science attitudes and interest in scientific and environmental-related topics at the end of the pilot activities. Only weak impacts were measured for behavioral change. The activities showed transformative potential, which makes the student activities an example of good practice for citizen science activities on air quality with low-cost sensors.

scholarly journals Integrating multiple sources of biodiversity information greatly expands the range of a rare species of Hymenoptera (Vanhorniidae)

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Hogan ◽  
Amber Bass ◽  
Y. Miles Zhang ◽  
Barbara Sharanowski
Keyword(s):  
New Jersey ◽  
North America ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
New Hampshire ◽  
Rare Species ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Biodiversity Information

Vanhorniaeucnemidarum Crawford is the only species of Vanhorniidae that occurs in North America. This species is rarely collected and thus the distribution is not well documented. Intending to uncover a more accurate range of this species, we assembled collection records from museums, personal collections and citizen science projects. Many of these records were non-digitised and had to be personally requested. Here we expand the known distribution of V.eucnemidarum to include nine new provinces and states: Manitoba, Connecticut, Oregon, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Texas and Wisconsin. Although Quebec has been listed as a previous locality, the recorded province was mislabelled, so Quebec is now also officially a provincial record.

scholarly journals Anthropogenic Sources of Non-Migratory Avian Mortalities In Singapore

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-27
Author(s):  
David J. X. TAN ◽  
Ding Li YONG ◽  
Bing Wen LOW ◽  
Alan OWYONG ◽  
Alfred CHIA
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Urban Spaces ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
The Public ◽  
Survey Methodologies

Although urban spaces are increasingly recognised as viable habitats for wildlife, cities remain a major source of anthropogenic mortality for wild birds. While the sources of urban avian mortalities have been well documented in North America, these phenomena remain poorly studied in Southeast Asia, especially for resident species. Here we present the first summary of non-migratory urban bird mortalities for the heavily urbanised island of Singapore. We conducted a citizen science study using print and social media outreach to encourage members of the public to report their observations of dead birds between November 2013 and October 2017, and collected a total of 362 mortality records across 65 resident bird species and five mortality sources. Our results show that a diverse array of bird species is directly impacted by anthropogenic sources of mortality, although mortalities stemming from roadkill and cat predation are likely to be undersampled. We also find that forest-edge frugivores such as the Pink-necked Green Pigeon are likely to be especially vulnerable to building collisions. Our study shows that despite its limitations, opportunistic sampling using citizen science can generate large amounts of ecological data at relatively low cost, and serve as a cost-effective complement to standardised survey methodologies.

A comparative analysis of butterfly richness detection capacity of Pollard transects and general microhabitat surveys

2012 ◽  
Vol 144 (5) ◽  
pp. 727-731
Author(s):  
Isabelle Létourneau ◽  
Maxim Larrivée ◽  
Antoine Morin
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Conservation Biology ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
High Quality ◽  
High Quality Data ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Butterfly Assemblages ◽  
Number Of Individuals

AbstractAssessing biodiversity is essential in conservation biology but the resources needed are often limited. Citizen science, by which volunteers gather data at low cost, represents a potential solution for the lack of resources if it produces usable data for scientific means. Scientific inventories for butterflies are often performed with a Pollard transect, a standardised surveying technique that generates high-quality data. General microhabitat surveys (GMSs) are potentially more appealing to amateurs participating in citizen science projects because they are less constrained. We compare estimates of butterfly species richness acquired by Pollard transects to those obtained by GMSs. We demonstrate that GMSs allow surveyors to detect more butterfly species and a more complete portrait of local butterfly assemblages for the same number of individuals captured.

scholarly journals Tackling Data Quality When Using Low-Cost Air Quality Sensors in Citizen Science Projects

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ågot K. Watne ◽  
Jenny Linden ◽  
Jens Willhelmsson ◽  
Håkan Fridén ◽  
Malin Gustafsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
High Data ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Air Quality Measurements ◽  
Air Quality Data ◽  
Intended Use

Using low-cost air quality sensors (LCS) in citizen science projects opens many possibilities. LCS can provide an opportunity for the citizens to collect and contribute with their own air quality data. However, low data quality is often an issue when using LCS and with it a risk of unrealistic expectations of a higher degree of empowerment than what is possible. If the data quality and intended use of the data is not harmonized, conclusions may be drawn on the wrong basis and data can be rendered unusable. Ensuring high data quality is demanding in terms of labor and resources. The expertise, sensor performance assessment, post-processing, as well as the general workload required will depend strongly on the purpose and intended use of the air quality data. It is therefore a balancing act to ensure that the data quality is high enough for the specific purpose, while minimizing the validation effort. The aim of this perspective paper is to increase awareness of data quality issues and provide strategies to minimizing labor intensity and expenses while maintaining adequate QA/QC for robust applications of LCS in citizen science projects. We believe that air quality measurements performed by citizens can be better utilized with increased awareness about data quality and measurement requirements, in combination with improved metadata collection. Well-documented metadata can not only increase the value and usefulness for the actors collecting the data, but it also the foundation for assessment of potential integration of the data collected by citizens in a broader perspective.

scholarly journals Advancing bird survey efforts through novel recorder technology and automated species identification

2021 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 56-70
Author(s):  
Matthew Toenies ◽  
Lindsey Rich
Keyword(s):  
Species Identification ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Point Counts ◽  
Bird Detection ◽  
Automated Tools ◽  
Identification Techniques

Recent advances in acoustic recorder technology and automated species identification hold great promise for avian monitoring efforts. Assessing how these innovations compare to existing recorder models and traditional species identification techniques is vital to understanding their utility to researchers and managers. We carried out field trials in Monterey County, California, to compare bird detection among four acoustic recorder models (AudioMoth, Swift Recorder, and Wildlife Acoustics SM3BAT and SM Mini) and concurrent point counts, and to assess the ability of the artificial neural network BirdNET to correctly identify bird species from AudioMoth recordings. We found that the lowest-cost unit (AudioMoth) performed comparably to higher-cost units and that on average, species detections were higher for three of the five recorder models (range 9.8 to 14.0) than for point counts (12.8). In our assessment of BirdNET, we developed a subsetting process that enabled us to achieve a high rate of correctly identified species (96%). Using longer recordings from a single recorder model, BirdNET identified a mean of 8.5 verified species per recording and a mean of 16.4 verified species per location over a 5-day period (more than point counts conducted in similar habitats). We demonstrate that a combination of long recordings from low-cost recorders and a conservative method for subsetting automated identifications from BirdNET presents a process for sampling avian community composition with low misidentification rates and limited need for human vetting. These low-cost and automated tools may greatly improve efforts to survey bird communities and their ecosystems, and consequently, efforts to conserve threatened indigenous biodiversity.

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.

Citizens of the future

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-144
Author(s):  
Colin Milburn ◽  
Melissa Wills
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Social Progress ◽  
Responsible Innovation ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Technical Innovations ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Utopian Thought

Over the last decade, a variety of ‘citizen science’ projects have turned to video games and other tools of gamification to enrol participants and to encourage public engagement with scientific research questions. This article examines the significance of sf in the field of citizen science, focusing on projects such as Eyewire, Be a Martian!, Sea Hero Quest, Play to Cure: Genes in Space, Forgotten Island and the ‘Project Discovery’ experiments in EVE Online. The sf stories that frame these projects often allegorise the neoliberal assumptions and immaterial labour practices of citizen science, even while seeming to hide or disguise them. At the same time, the fictional frames enable players to imagine social and technical innovations that, while not necessarily achievable in the present, nevertheless point to a future of democratic science, social progress and responsible innovation - blips of utopian thought from the zones of crowdsourced labour.

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