Abstract: iWetland is a community science wetland water level monitoring platform developed by the McMaster Ecohydrology Lab and tested from 2016 to 2019 in wetlands located east of Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada. The goal of iWetland is to engage community members in wetland science while collecting data to better understand the spatiotemporal variability in water level patterns of wetlands. We installed 24 iWetland water level monitoring stations in popular hiking and camping areas where visitors can text the water level of the wetland to an online database that automatically collates the data. Here, we share our approach for developing the iWetland community science platform and its importance for monitoring all types of wetland ecosystems. From 2016 through 2019, almost 2,000 individuals recorded more than 2,600 water table measurements. The iWetland platform successfully collected accurate water table data for 24 wetlands. We discuss the successes and shortcomings of the community science platform with respect to data collection, community engagement, and participation. We found that forming mutually beneficial partnerships with community groups paired with strong outreach presence were key to the success of this community science platform. Finally, we recommend that those interested in adopting the iWetland platform in their community partner with community groups, recognize participant contributions, identify accessible sites, and host outreach activities. Published on 2023-02-13 10:33:05
Abstract: Ongoing failure to resolve how wildlife and people can co-exist on private land contributes to the global decline of wildlife populations. Experience in Tasmania, Australia suggests a disconnect between wildlife researchers, environmental agencies, and private landholders that prevents new scientific insights from translating into improved wildlife management practices. This case study based on a participatory action research model, describes a wildlife conservation initiative called WildTracker. WildTracker created hands-on collaborations among private landholders, university researchers, and the Tasmanian Land Conservancy (TLC). Landholders from 3 regions (total area 9977 km2) participated in an iterative 2-year research process involving problem-framing workshops, data collection (mammals, birds, and habitat) using wildlife cameras and sound recorders, data analysis, and discussion of results. Participants contributed more than 2,000 hours to the project, resulting in more than 500,000 wildlife observations, with many landholders now implementing research findings, guided by locality-specific data on wildlife populations, feral animals, and habitat condition. WildTracker has evolved from a short-term participatory research project into an ongoing collaborative citizen science program that is documenting and contributing to on-the-ground and evolving wildlife conservation outcomes. Published on 2023-02-08 10:38:15
Abstract: This paper addresses the transformative and emancipatory potential of citizen science not only concerning its role in groundwater management, but also regarding its contribution to enhanced and sustainable well-being. Our work is in the Hout Catchment region of the Limpopo province in South Africa where living conditions vary greatly, but all share a vulnerable dependency on the dwindling availability of water. We propose that the interaction between human water systems and its contextual social dimensions with regard to diversity and historically shaped structures of power has had serious impacts on the ability to tackle challenges of sustainable water management. In our project, citizen scientists markedly expanded data collection and analysis at a fraction of the cost of traditional scientific endeavours. Keep the Flow is not simply about effectively using measurement instruments, but also about practices of authentic learning through innovative methodologies that were used to communicate with citizens about science and with scientists about social transformation and well-being. In our workshops, we used art as a bridge. Citizen science takes place in agonistic learning spaces in which historical and geopolitical circumstances that have resulted in an uneven playing field for its participants were acknowledged. We begin by introducing the project, then we discuss plural understandings of citizen science and present our stakeholders. We subsequently examine our own citizen science approach as agonistic learning, which brings us to ideas of entanglement and meshwork. We then present our participatory action research methodology and the go-to tools we use in in agonistic learning spaces, followed by our conclusions. Published on 2023-02-07 09:48:59
Abstract: A core tenet of citizen science is mutual benefit to the professional researcher and the citizen scientist. While the impacts on the citizen scientist are often implicitly assumed to be positive, this is infrequently studied directly. Here, we evaluate the impacts of the Power to the People remote mapping citizen science project on volunteers to explore best practices for positive impact. We analyze beta feedback collected before project launch, discussion board posts made during the project, an end-of-project evaluation survey, and mapping data generated during the project. We found that this project attracted a diverse global community who were motivated to contribute to research with the potential to create real-world impact. 87% of respondents had a “good” or “excellent” experience with the project, and 66% learned something by participating. Best-practices identified through this evaluation are to: (1) account for the intersectionality of contributor demographics; (2) emphasize project interdisciplinarity and real-world impact potential; (3) provide learning opportunities at multiple levels of depth; (4) remember that the most vocal contributors do not represent the entire community; and (5) evaluate data quality regularly to identify silent issues. Published on 2023-02-06 10:13:05
Abstract: Understanding the factors that affect participation plays a crucial role in the success of any contributory citizen science project. We focus our study on the general public, who most likely have not participated in citizen science before, since they constitute a large part of society and their opinions have not been studied thoroughly. We first describe the survey, which was answered by 209 respondents in Germany who mostly had no prior experience in citizen science, that seeks to addressthe factors of personality traits, properties of citizen science projects, and general motivations. Our study focuses on two different levels of participation: in specific sample projects and in contributory citizen science in general, both of which are embedded in the survey. We use manual text clustering and linear regression models to study the different types of inputs from the respondents. We identify contribution to science, the fun element of the projects, personal interests, and new knowledge acquired from participation as the most significant motivators for the future intention of participating in the sample citizen science projects. On a higher level, the general motivations concerning “values” and “understanding” are the main drivers behind participants’ future intention of participating in contributory citizen science. Meanwhile, no personality traits are found to be influence the intentions of the respondents. Based on these findings, several enhancements to the recruitment and communication strategies of citizen science projects can be made to maximize the participation of potential citizen scientists. Published on 2023-01-10 10:40:04
Abstract: On January 12, 2010, Haiti was hit by one of the largest seismic disasters known to date. At the time, the culture and perception of seismic risk was low among the population and—because of the lack of seismic sensors in Haiti—so was seismological knowledge.In a citizen seismology approach, the S2RHAI project used low-cost seismic sensors (Raspberry Shake) to (1) complement the national seismic network and (2) to improve risk perception, preparedness, and scientific knowledge of the population. Through these objectives, we introduce a paradigm shift in which seismic networks are not only composed of sensors, but also of citizens who gather around these tools and the information they produce.We present here the results of a qualitative survey of 15 Raspberry Shake (RS) seismometer hosts in Haiti. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to learn about users’ experience to assess their motivations, difficulties, and expectations in this citizen seismology process. We found that RS hosts expressed pride and interest in being part of the RS network and actively contributing to risk reduction in their community. Some of them reported a form of empowerment in that they could compensate for the deficiency of the state, which they generally distrust. However, the RS hosts also expressed the need for more technical and scientific support from scientists. Also, few of them engaged in mediation activities or discussions with their community members, partly because they feared that this would awaken the trauma caused by the earthquake of 12 January, 2010. This allowed us to list concrete actions to (1) improve the seismic information system, (2) better integrate the volunteers into the network, (3) enrich the collaboration between citizens and seismologists, and (4) accompany them in their role as ambassadors to their community. We conclude that understanding the motivations, obstacles, and expectations of volunteers is essential to increase the chances of sustainability of this citizen seismology project. Published on 2023-01-10 10:30:53
Abstract: Community science involves scientists and community members co-creating and co-executing scientific research. Given their deep engagement of non-scientists, these projects have great potential to improve their participants’ scientific knowledge and pro-environmental attitudes, as well as to collect first-order data on issues of local and scientific concern. To investigate this potential, we implemented a community science project to monitor an endemic species of sea lion in the Galápagos Islands and empirically assessed its impacts on the community scientists (local high-school students). We discovered that our community scientists increased their understanding of the nature of science, knowledge of sea lion biology, and intrinsic motivations for conservation as a result of their participation. These results provide empirical evidence that community science initiatives can be effective tools for helping community members to increase both their scientific knowledge and their environmental awareness. Published on 2023-01-10 09:59:01
Abstract: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest funding agency for biomedical and behavioral research in the United States, supporting basic, translational, and clinical research to drive discoveries and knowledge that enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. The NIH invests in research that runs the gamut from basic biological mechanisms to innovative device development; environmental public health; and behavioral, implementation, and population sciences. Citizen science methodologies and approaches have broadened opportunities for public involvement across the full spectrum of biomedical research. The NIH has a long history of supporting citizen science and public-partnered research. It is challenging to estimate the investment that NIH has made in citizen science given the diverse fields, program types, and project organization that NIH-supported citizen science exemplifies and the expansion into related disciplines. The common thread through these diverse programs is a meaningful partnership with the public as direct collaborators and participants. Here, we describe unique examples of successful biomedical citizen science and community-engaged research projects that are hosted by NIH or that have received NIH support, and highlight the different terms used to encourage and report on citizen science and related methodologies. Published on 2022-12-15 12:44:41
Abstract: The practice of medicine is typically conceptualized as remaining within the boundaries of a hospital or clinic. However, in recent years, patients have been able to gain access to information about medical research as it is ongoing. As a result, there has been a rise in do-it-yourself (DIY) medicine, where individuals treat themselves for medical conditions outside of clinical settings, often mimicking experimental therapies that remain inaccessible to the wider public. For example, in DIY brain stimulation, individuals suffering from depression build at-home electrical headsets using nine-volt batteries, mimicking an experimental neuroscience technique used in scientific laboratories. In DIY fecal transplantation, those with intestinal disorders like C. Difficile and inflammatory bowel disease transplant stool from donors into themselves with the aid of blenders and enemas. In the open Artificial Pancreas System movement, diabetes patients hacked together an artificial pancreas system from their glucose monitors and insulin pumps, years before such a system was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA). To date, scholarship on DIY medicine has largely been relegated to specific medical domains (e.g., neurology, gastroenterology, infectious disease). In this paper, however, I recognize DIY medicine as a cross-cutting phenomenon that has emerged independently across medical domains but shares common features. I map the varieties of DIY medicine across these domains and suggest that four key factors lead to their creation, growth, and uptake. In doing so, this essay sheds light on an understudied area of biomedical citizen science that is likely to grow substantially in the coming decades. Published on 2022-12-15 12:37:43
Open Access journal
