scholarly journals CitSci.org & PPSR Core: Sharing biodiversity observations across platforms

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon Budnicki ◽  
Gregory Newman
Keyword(s):  
Data Quality ◽  
Data Sharing ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Use Cases ◽  
Community Surveys ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Metadata Standards ◽  
Informatics Infrastructure ◽  
Science Association

CitSci.org is a global citizen science software platform and support organization housed at Colorado State University. The mission of CitSci is to help people do high quality citizen science by amplifying impacts and outcomes. This platform hosts over one thousand projects and a diverse volunteer base that has amassed over one million observations of the natural world, focused on biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability. It is a custom platform built using open source components including: PostgreSQL, Symfony, Vue.js, with React Native for the mobile apps. CitSci sets itself apart from other Citizen Science platforms through the flexibility in the types of projects it supports rather than having a singular focus. This flexibility allows projects to define their own datasheets and methodologies. The diversity of programs we host motivated us to take a founding role in the design of the PPSR Core, a set of global, transdisciplinary data and metadata standards for use in Public Participation in Scientific Research (Citizen Science) projects. Through an international partnership between the Citizen Science Association, European Citizen Science Association, and Australian Citizen Science Association, the PPSR team and associated standards enable interoperability of citizen science projects, datasets, and observations. Here we share our experience over the past 10+ years of supporting biodiversity research both as developers of the CitSci.org platform and as stewards of, and contributors to, the PPSR Core standard. Specifically, we share details about: the origin, development, and informatics infrastructure for CitSci our support for biodiversity projects such as population and community surveys our experiences in platform interoperability through PPSR Core working with the Zooniverse, SciStarter, and CyberTracker data quality data sharing goals and use cases. the origin, development, and informatics infrastructure for CitSci our support for biodiversity projects such as population and community surveys our experiences in platform interoperability through PPSR Core working with the Zooniverse, SciStarter, and CyberTracker data quality data sharing goals and use cases. We conclude by sharing overall successes, limitations, and recommendations as they pertain to trust and rigor in citizen science data sharing and interoperability. As the scientific community moves forward, we show that Citizen Science is a key tool to enabling a systems-based approach to ecosystem problems.

scholarly journals Affordances and tensions in recording bird observations: how coordinators and volunteers perceive and experience citizen science in birding

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (02) ◽  
pp. A10
Author(s):  
Helen Verploegen ◽  
Wessel Ganzevoort ◽  
Riyan van den Born
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Data Sharing ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Future Design ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
The Future

Digital citizen science projects differ greatly in their goals and design. Tensions arise when coordinators' design choices and conceptions of citizen science conflict with users' motivations and expectations. In this paper, we use a combination of qualitative methods to gain new insights into the ways citizen science is understood and implemented digitally. This includes a study into the affordances of two citizen science portals for bird observations, and qualitative interviews with users and coordinators of the portals. This reveals tensions related to data sharing, community hierarchies, and communicated expectations. Awareness of these tensions can benefit the future design of online citizen science projects.

scholarly journals Entomological citizen science in Canada

2017 ◽  
Vol 149 (6) ◽  
pp. 774-785 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Acorn
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Voluntary Participation ◽  
Scientific Process ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Geographic Ranges ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Online Databases ◽  
Gathering Data

AbstractCitizen science involves voluntary participation in the scientific process, typically by gathering data in order to monitor some aspect of the natural world. Entomological citizen science, as an extension of traditional amateur entomology, is an active field in Canada, with online databases such as eButterfly and BugGuide attracting both contributors and database users. As well, traditional amateur entomology continues to be important in Canada, as do short-term insect-themed educational events, the involvement of amateurs in entomological societies, and online crowdsourcing initiatives. Success of citizen science projects can be measured in many ways. In terms of published papers that analyse trends in citizen science data, Canadian projects have only begun to deliver. More valuable are particular records that improve our knowledge of geographic ranges and phenology. In terms of the endurance of particular projects, and the willingness of volunteers to participate, citizen science entomology in Canada is clearly a success. However, quality control of citizen science data remains an issue for some projects. As well, challenges remain with respect to balancing the goals of researchers, participants, and supporting institutions.

scholarly journals Assessing data quality in citizen science (preprint)

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Kosmala ◽  
Andrea Wiggins ◽  
Alexandra Swanson ◽  
Brooke Simmons
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Systematic Error ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Project Design ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Volunteer Training ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Expert Validation

AbstractEcological and environmental citizen science projects have enormous potential to advance science, influence policy, and guide resource management by producing datasets that are otherwise infeasible to generate. This potential can only be realized, though, if the datasets are of high quality. While scientists are often skeptical of the ability of unpaid volunteers to produce accurate datasets, a growing body of publications clearly shows that diverse types of citizen science projects can produce data with accuracy equal to or surpassing that of professionals. Successful projects rely on a suite of methods to boost data accuracy and account for bias, including iterative project development, volunteer training and testing, expert validation, replication across volunteers, and statistical modeling of systematic error. Each citizen science dataset should therefore be judged individually, according to project design and application, rather than assumed to be substandard simply because volunteers generated it.

scholarly journals Visualization and Perception of Data Gaps in the Context of Citizen Science Projects

2021 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 155-172
Author(s):  
Tom Hoyer ◽  
Julia Moritz ◽  
Jana Moser
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
User Studies ◽  
Use Cases ◽  
Voluntary Participation ◽  
Online Portal ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Data Gaps ◽  
Additional Interpretation

AbstractCitizen Science initiatives often collect the data in an unsystematic way and dependent on the voluntary participation of interested citizens. The visualization of such data must present this incompleteness in a way that is understandable and comprehensible even to scientific laypersons if the correct conclusions are to be drawn. Using the project “Experiencing Biodiversity” as an example, this article shows how these requirements can be taken into account in the development of an online portal. Thereby, we discuss how data gaps can be pointed out by means of maps in order to be able to better interpret the significance of crowd-based data. We use empirical user studies to show the extent to which this was successful in the “Experiencing Biodiversity” project and the role of additional interpretation aids. Finally, we discuss how the findings of this project could be transferred to other use cases.

scholarly journals Training citizen scientists through an online game developed for data quality control

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Strobl ◽  
Simon Etter ◽  
H. J. Ilja van Meerveld ◽  
Jan Seibert
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Online Game ◽  
Data Quality Control ◽  
Training Requirements ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Before And After

Abstract. Some form of training is often necessary in citizen science projects. While in many citizen science projects it is possible to keep tasks simple so that training requirements are minimal, some projects include more challenging tasks and, thus, require more extensive training. Training can hinder joining a project, and therefore most citizen science projects prefer to keep training requirements low. However, training may be needed to ensure good data quality. In this study, we evaluated if an online game that was originally developed for data quality control in a citizen science project, can be used for training for that project. More specifically, we investigated whether the CrowdWater game can be used to train new participants on how to use the virtual staff gauge in the CrowdWater smartphone app for the collection of water level class data. Within this app, the task of placing a virtual staff gauge to start measurements at a new location has proven to be challenging; however this is a crucial task for all subsequent measurements at this location. We analysed the performance of 52 participants in the placement of the virtual staff gauge before and after playing the online CrowdWater game as a form of training. After playing the game, the performance improved for most participants. This suggests that players learned project related tasks intuitively by observing actual gauge placements by other citizen scientists and thus acquired knowledge about how to best use the app instinctively. Interestingly, self-assessment was not a good proxy for the participants’ performance or performance increase. These results demonstrate the value of an online game for training, particularly when compared to other information materials, which are often not used extensively by citizen scientist. These findings are useful for the development of training strategies for other citizen science projects because they indicate that gamified approaches might provide valuable alternative training methods.

Surveying the citizen science landscape

First Monday ◽  
2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Wiggins ◽  
Kevin Crowston
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Project Design ◽  
Science Project ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Combined Features ◽  
Citizen Science Project

Citizen science has seen enormous growth in recent years, in part due to the influence of the Internet, and a corresponding growth in interest. However, the few stand-out examples that have received attention from media and researchers are not representative of the diversity of the field as a whole, and therefore may not be the best models for those seeking to study or start a citizen science project. In this work, we present the results of a survey of citizen science project leaders, identifying sub-groups of project types according to a variety of features related to project design and management, including funding sources, goals, participant activities, data quality processes, and social interaction. These combined features highlight the diversity of citizen science, providing an overview of the breadth of the phenomenon and laying a foundation for comparison between citizen science projects and to other online communities.

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 Citizen science in cities: an overview of projects focused on urban Australia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Roger ◽  
Alice Motion
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Science And Society ◽  
Large Cities ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Large Pool ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Citizen Science Project ◽  
Significant Opportunity

AbstractCitizen science offers a unique opportunity to connect urban-dwellers with the often hidden natural world upon their doorsteps and to contribute to authentic research that increases knowledge of urban ecology and biodiversity. With the majority of Australia’s population residing in large cities, this diverse potential pool of participants in science creates a significant opportunity to increase the spatial and temporal scale of research. Herein, we provide an overview of Australian urban citizen science projects based on an analysis of the projects listed in the Australian Citizen Science Association’s Citizen Science Project Finder. We draw out key features (such as those with research questions specific to cities such as reintroduction and persistence of species in urban environments) from urban citizen science projects that make them suitable for the urban environment and use these features to suggest recommendations for further expansion and development of this important subset of projects. We conclude that the number and diversity of urban citizen science projects is relatively low in Australia, and advocate for an increase in initiatives that can tap into a large pool of potential participants for the benefit of science and society.

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.

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