scholarly journals Citizen Science in Vegetable Garden Cultivar Evaluation in Tennessee

Horticulturae ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 422
Author(s):  
Virginia R. Sykes ◽  
Natalie R. Bumgarner ◽  
Stefanie Brooke Keadle ◽  
Aleksandra Wilson ◽  
Francisco Palacios
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Science Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Home Garden ◽  
Trial Management ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Research Faculty

Edible food production is a growing area of horticultural interest that can engage multiple generations of rural to urban residents with varying levels of experience. Residential or community garden food production can provide many benefits, including the production of healthy produce, establishment of community or social connections, and increased physical activity. Regardless of experience, food gardeners are interested in growing crops and cultivars well-suited to their region and which provide both productivity and crop quality. This means that cultivar selection is a common question for gardeners. However, formal cultivar evaluation is relatively rare in the non-commercial food production sector due to the number of cultivars, the challenges of replicated trial management, and the scarcity of public researchers focused on consumer horticulture. This limits the information available to support new gardeners, which lowers the chances of overall success including high-quality harvests. Such crop and variety selection questions are common for Extension personnel in the United States as well as many others who work with gardeners. Even with this high level of interest, funding for consumer garden trials is limited and the cost of replicated trials across various geographical sites is high. To fill this gap in research and address the need for high-quality data to support education, University of Tennessee Extension and research faculty have developed a citizen science approach called the Home Garden Variety Trial (HGVT) program. The HGVT is a collaborative effort between Extension and research faculty and educators, who select trials, provide seeds, and compile data, and citizen scientists around the state, who conduct the trials using their usual gardening practices in their own home or community gardens. Beginning in 2017, the collaborators have conducted five years of research involving over 450 individual gardeners in more than half of the counties in Tennessee. The HGVT is a novel and effective tool to introduce gardeners to new crops and cultivars while providing previously unavailable data to researchers. Together, researchers and home gardeners collect and compile data that supports residential and community food production success while engaging new and experienced gardeners in participatory science research.

scholarly journals Citizen Science and Youth Audiences: Educational Outcomes of the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dina L. Kountoupes ◽  
Karen Oberhauser
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Data Entry ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Monarch Butterfly ◽  
The United States ◽  
Promising Practices ◽  
University Of Minnesota ◽  
Natural Settings ◽  
The University

Citizen science projects in which members of the public participate in large scale science research programs are excellent ways for universities to engage the broader community in authentic science research. The Monarch Larva Monitoring Project (MLMP) is such a project. It involves hundreds of individuals throughout the United States and southern Canada in a study of monarch butterfly distribution and abundance. This program, run by faculty, graduate students, and staff at the University of Minnesota, provides research opportunities for volunteer monitors. We used mixed methods to understand contexts, outcomes, and promising practices for engaging youth in this project. Slightly over a third of our adult volunteers engaged youth in monitoring activities. They reported that the youth were successful at and enjoyed project activities, with the exception of data entry. Adults innovations increased the success and educational value of the project for children without compromising data integrity. Many adults engaged in extension activities, including independent research that built on their monitoring observations. This project provides an excellent forum for science and environmental education through investigation, direct and long-term interactions with natural settings, and data analysis.

scholarly journals Benefits and Drawbacks of Citizen Science to Complement Traditional Data Gathering Approaches for Medically Important Hard Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Eisen ◽  
Rebecca J Eisen
Keyword(s):  
Data Quality ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Tick Species ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
The United States ◽  
Medical Community ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Record Data

Abstract Tick-borne diseases are increasing in North America. Knowledge of which tick species and associated human pathogens are present locally can inform the public and medical community about the acarological risk for tick bites and tick-borne infections. Citizen science (also called community-based monitoring, volunteer monitoring, or participatory science) is emerging as a potential approach to complement traditional tick record data gathering where all aspects of the work is done by researchers or public health professionals. One key question is how citizen science can best be used to generate high-quality data to fill knowledge gaps that are difficult to address using traditional data gathering approaches. Citizen science is particularly useful to generate information on human–tick encounters and may also contribute to geographical tick records to help define species distributions across large areas. Previous citizen science projects have utilized three distinct tick record data gathering methods including submission of: 1) physical tick specimens for identification by professional entomologists, 2) digital images of ticks for identification by professional entomologists, and 3) data where the tick species and life stage were identified by the citizen scientist. We explore the benefits and drawbacks of citizen science, relative to the traditional scientific approach, to generate data on tick records, with special emphasis on data quality for species identification and tick encounter locations. We recognize the value of citizen science to tick research but caution that the generated information must be interpreted cautiously with data quality limitations firmly in mind to avoid misleading conclusions.

Evaluation of piemontese-cross friesian steers and heifers on silage-based diets

1992 ◽  
Vol 1992 ◽  
pp. 194-194
Author(s):  
M.H. Davies ◽  
H.F. Grundy ◽  
S. Page
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Meat Quality ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Quality Characteristics ◽  
Fat Content ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Low Fat ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Meat Yield

The Piemontese breed is reputed to produce high quality carcasses, but its potential in U.K. beef production systems is unknown. Data from the United States on crossbred progeny (Cundiff et al., 1990) and from Italy on both pure breeds (La Carne Bovina, 1988) and crossbreds (Gigli et al., 1990) shown the Piemontese to be a light boned, low fat, high meat yield breed with a high dressing out proportion. Furthermore the meat quality data show that it produced the most tender meat of all breeds tested and this was achieved at a low marbling fat content. This trial compares the performance of Piemontese x Friesian and Charolais x Friesian steers and heifers when fed on an indoor silage beef system. The meat quality characteristics of the carcasses produced are reported elsewhere (Fisher et al., 1992).

scholarly journals Citizen Science: A New Approach to Smoke-Free Policy Advocacy

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 82S-88S
Author(s):  
Megan Folkerth ◽  
Kelley Adcock ◽  
Mary Singler ◽  
Elizabeth Bishop
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Research Collaboration ◽  
Community Support ◽  
The United States ◽  
Quality Standard ◽  
City Council ◽  
Community Leaders ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Smoke Free Policy

Kentucky has the second highest adult smoking rate, has the highest incidence of lung cancer in the nation, and does not have a state law prohibiting smoking inside workplaces. These tobacco disparities and policy gap leave Kentucky behind tobacco control progress made in other areas of the United States. Williamstown is a rural community with a population of 3,900 and a strong history of tobacco use. In 2017, the Northern Kentucky Health Department, in partnership with Interact for Health, worked with two coalitions to collect data, educate the community, and advocate for a local smoke-free policy. Coalition members collected 227 public opinion surveys. Community leaders—including the mayor—and advocates participated in Citizen Science, a research collaboration between scientists and volunteers. Advocates were trained on AirBeam monitors, wearable devices that gather air quality data in real time, and then were deployed in six establishments. The indoor air quality in smoking establishments was two times worse than the outdoor air quality standard. Community leaders and advocates then mobilized to educate City Council members on the benefits of a smoke-free policy, focusing on business, health, and tourism. In 2018, the Williamstown City Council voted in favor of the smoke-free policy, becoming the first jurisdiction in the Northern Kentucky region with a comprehensive smoke-free policy. The Citizen Science process helped develop coalition capacity, build community support, and engage policymakers in a successful smoke-free policy effort. Through participatory and inclusive efforts, local residents were able to affect policy change in the direction of health for all people.

A benchmarking framework for understanding bus performance in the US

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 1533-1550
Author(s):  
Lindsey Morse ◽  
Mark Trompet ◽  
Alexander Barron ◽  
Richard Anderson ◽  
Daniel J. Graham
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Performance Indicator ◽  
System Development ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transit Agencies

PurposeThis paper describes a benchmarking framework applied to medium-sized urban public bus agencies in the United States, which has overcome the challenges of data quality, comparability, and understanding.Design/methodology/approachThe benchmarking methodology described in this paper is based on lessons learned through seven years of development of a fixed-route key performance indicator (KPI) system for the American Bus Benchmarking Group (ABBG). Founded in 2011, the ABBG is a group of public medium-sized urban bus agencies that compare performance and share best practices with peers throughout the United States. The methodology is adapted from the process used within international benchmarking groups facilitated by Imperial College and consists of four main elements: peer selection, KPI system development, processes to achieve high-quality data, and processes to understand relative performance and change.FindingsThe four main elements of the ABBG benchmarking methodology consist of 18 subelements, which when applied overcome three main benchmarking challenges: comparability, data quality, and understanding. While serving as examples for the methodology elements, the paper provides specific insights into service characteristics and performance among ABBG agencies.Research limitations/implicationsThe benchmarking approach described in this paper requires time and commitment and thus is most suitably applied to a concise group of agencies.Practical implicationsThis methodology provides transit agencies, authorities, and benchmarking practitioners a framework for effective benchmarking. It will lead to high-quality comparable data and a strong understanding of the performance context to serve as a basis for organizational changes, whether for policy, planning, operations, stakeholder communication, or program development.Originality/valueThe methodology, while consistent with recommendations from literature, is unique in its scale, in-depth validation and analysis, and holistic and multidimensional approach.

scholarly journals Time for Better Access to High-Quality Abortion Data in the United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 189 (7) ◽  
pp. 640-647
Author(s):  
Katherine A Ahrens ◽  
Jennifer A Hutcheon
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
High Quality ◽  
High Quality Data ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Past ◽  
Research Activities

Abstract Despite considerable lay attention on the regulation and legislation of abortion in the United States, important gaps remain in our understanding of its incidence and health and social consequences since its legalization in 1973. Many of these gaps in knowledge can be attributed to a lack of access to high-quality, individual-level abortion data over the past 46 years. Herein, we review the strengths and limitations of different, currently available methods for enumerating abortions in the United States and discuss how lack of access to high-quality data limits our surveillance and research activities of not only abortion but other important reproductive and perinatal health outcomes. We conclude by discussing some potential opportunities for improved access to high-quality abortion data in the United States.

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 Building a Centre of Excellence in Data Management in East Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betty Agwang ◽  
Yuka Manabe
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Clinical Research ◽  
Data Management ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Research Quality ◽  
Data Management System ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
High Quality

Abstract Background: In resource-limited settings, there is a paucity of high quality data management systems for clinical research. The result is that data are often managed in high-income countries disadvantaging researchers at sites where the data are collected. An institutional data management system to address the data collection concerns of the collaborators and sponsors is a key institutional capacity element for high quality research. Our goal was to build a local data management center to streamline data collection and validation compliant with international regulatory bodies. Methods: Leveraging established collaborations between Office of Cyber Infrastructure and Computational Biology of the National Institutes of Health and the John Hopkins University School of Medicine in the United States, the Infectious Diseases Institute at Makerere University built a data management coordinating center. This included mentorship from the NIAID International Centers for Excellence in Research and training of key personnel in South Africa at a functioning data center. The number of studies, case report forms processed and the number of publications emanating from studies using the data management unit since its inception were tabulated. Results: The Infectious Diseases Institute data management core began processing data in 2009 with 3 personnel, hardware (network-enabled scanners, desktops, server held in Bethesda with nightly back up) and software licenses, in addition to on-site support from the NIH. In the last 10 years, 850,869 pages of data have been processed from 60 studies in Uganda, across sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and South America. Real-time data cleaning and data analysis occur routinely and enhance clinical research quality; a total of 212 publications from IDI investigators have been published over the past 10 years. Apart from the server back-up services provided by the NIH, the center is now self-sustaining from fees charged to individual studies. Conclusion: Collaborative partnership among research institutions enabled the IDI to build a core data management and coordination center to support clinical studies, build institutional research capacity, and to advance data quality and integrity for the investigators and sponsors.

Evidence-Based Practice & Practice-Based Evidence Applied to Adult, Medical Speech-Language Pathology

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rik Lemoncello ◽  
Bryan Ness
Keyword(s):  
Evidence Based Practice ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Speech Language Pathology ◽  
Clinical Practices ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials ◽  
Relative Paucity ◽  
Language Pathology

In this paper, we review concepts of evidence-based practice (EBP), and provide a discussion of the current limitations of EBP in terms of a relative paucity of efficacy evidence and the limitations of applying findings from randomized controlled clinical trials to individual clinical decisions. We will offer a complementary model of practice-based evidence (PBE) to encourage clinical scientists to design, implement, and evaluate our own clinical practices with high-quality evidence. We will describe two models for conducting PBE: the multiple baseline single-case experimental design and a clinical case study enhanced with generalization and control data probes. Gathering, analyzing, and sharing high-quality data can offer additional support through PBE to support EBP in speech-language pathology. It is our hope that these EBP and PBE strategies will empower clinical scientists to persevere in the quest for best practices.

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