Beginners Guide to Citizen Science
Have you heard of citizen science? Did you know you could get involved at a hands-on level with your community on issues that pertain directly to you and your environment? I didn’t, and you also may not be aware of these awesome initiatives taking place right in your backyard.
WHAT is it?
The official Oxford Dictionary defines Citizen Science as follows “the collection and analysis of data relating to the natural world by members of the general public typically as part of a collaborative project with professional scientists.” Citizen science can go by several different names, also commonly referred to as community science. With professional scientist and researchers leading the way, locals can get involved and learn in hands-on and cost-effective methods.
There are four categories that citizen science can fall under as explained in depth in an article by Rick Bonney that I will summarize here:
Data collection projects
The public collects data to be used in organized scientific research. There are thousands of these projects with hundreds of thousands of participants covering topics from native bees to invasive plants and from urban birds to swamp dwelling frogs. These projects have attempted to assess changes in participants attitudes and behaviours towards science. (pg. 3)
Data processing projects
Sometimes referred to as “crowd science,” participants aid in examining and analyzing what would otherwise be an unmanageable surplus of information. These projects typically fall under a ‘contributory’ type of citizen science. Like data collection, these types of projects also work to achieve scientific goals while increasing participants understanding of science by engaging them in the process. (pg. 5)
Curriculum based projects
This type of citizen science is generally developed for a younger audience supervised by educators or other adults. Targeting those in the K-12 school range and are also often used with other types of organized groups such as 4H or other after school programs. This typically take the form of data collection and submission to a larger citizen science project but can also be for stand alone smaller projects. (pg. 6)
Community science projects
This category is places local or regional issues at the core of the research. These projects will involve data collection but typically seek to affect policy or local decision-making for public health or conversation. They are often developed by members of the public who reach out to scientists for assistance. There is also a focus on how to speak with the media and public officials about scientific findings, how to influence land, air, and water quality regulations and enforcements, and how to ask answerable research questions. (pg. 8)
WHY is it important?
Citizen science is a way to get involved. It is designed with common goals of breaking down public barriers to create collaborative involvement. Shannon Dosemagen came to Simon Fraser University to deliver a public talk regarding her work with Public Lab, which is a community and non-profit organization that works to democratize science in order to address environmental issues that affect people. Among many factors, she highlighted the importance of removing scientific jargon to make it more user-friendly to the public. As well as the importance of creating community resources while building and maintaining relationships with the communities without falling into a habit of doing what needs to be done to meet a deadline.
Read more about the Public Lab here.
The ability for decision-makers and non-government organizations to use citizen volunteers as a resource for mutual benefit is a unique initiative. These projects are mainly focused to “monitor and manage natural resources, track species at risk, and conserve protected areas.” This is a crucial step towards transparency between authorities and the public, and an excellent way for people to have a better understanding of important issues that have direct implications on their lives.
[ SOURCE ]
HOW do you get involved?
You can find these projects across British Columbia in different capacities. The idea is that the residents in the area determine something that they feel is important to the environment, and with the help of professional scientist(s), and non-profit organizations like the Public Lab, they are provided with resources and guidance to collect the data, be able to analyse it, and interpret the results. Thus, identifying problems and solutions across the province, as well as across the world through citizen and community science. There are no age restrictions in participating in citizen science, everyone from children to seniors are welcome to participate in projects if they wish to!
These projects are far and wide, here are a few current opportunities for people who are interested in participating:
Citizen Science in the Straight of Georgia
Citizen science organizations partnered with the Straight of Georgia Data Centre team up to “allow for oceanographic sampling and monitoring in the Straight of Georgia at a spatial scale not possible before.” This program was introduced with the idea in mind of being able to grid out the Salish Sea into overlapping areas that they suggested could be covered by a small boat in a timely matter. Mapping it out and assigning off areas to citizen scientists allowed for complete coverage of the Straight of Georgia and they will use their collected data to assess annual variation in the physical/chemical oceanography of the entire Salish Sea and to estimate phytoplankton biomass – ultimately used to model initiatives and understand spatial and temporal changes in productivity of the Straight.
You can read more about this ongoing project here.
Kids in Citizen Science
One of the best parts of citizen science is it is available to everyone, young and old. This project encourages kids and their families all over British Columbia to collect data on local pollinators. They have classified pollinators as a wide variety of insects and the main goal is for children to learn about native wildlife and how to identify them, while collecting data on the species to help them continue to thrive and pollinate in the future.
To read more about this initiative click here.
Rob Thomas, a dedicated Canadian father, stumbled across citizen science and jumped at an opportunity to get involved with his kids. He lists many potential projects he wishes to partake in and says “I can’t think of a better way to engage my kids with scientific ideas and with the world around them.” You can read more about his personal experiences here.
Challenges:
Citizen Science has not been without its challenges. However, they have made considerable progress in moving forward and learning from their mistakes. One author noted some difficulties in the process. The problems falling along the lines of finding effective ways to compare and contrast the success of programs in a measurable way. However, with every project they work to narrow this gap with expertise and experience. These can be chalked up to growing pains. Like anything, it will continue to evolve and become continuously more effective.
[ SOURCE ]
Parting Words:
Citizen science works with communities and for communities to achieve a common goal decided upon collectively. Whether you choose to get involved or not, my message here is to be aware of this initiative and explore the possibilities. Our world has many environmental issues that are accelerating out of control, and this is one of the many options available for you to make a difference.
[ SOURCE ]
WORK CITED:
http://wiki.hackuarium.ch/images/8/8d/Conrad-hilchey-2011-review.pdf
http://www.citizensciencecenter.com/citizen-science-definition/
http://sogdatacentre.ca/people/citizen-science/
https://www.cbc.ca/parents/learning/view/citizen-science-projects
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/citizen_science