Citizen of Science

Question 1

What does citizen of science mean?

Answer 1

Based on two dimensions of the relationship between citizens and science:

1) that science should be responsive to citizens’ concerns and
needs; and

2) that citizens themselves could produce reliable scientific knowledge

scientific work undertaken by members of the
general public, often in collaboration with or under the direction of
professional scientists and scientific institutions”

Question 2

How can citizen of science be classified?

Answer 2

(1) contributive, where citizens gather
data -

(2) collaborative, where citizens may
also analyze or interpret this data

(3) co-created, where citizens
participate in all levels of a project,
from designing the research question to
analyzing data

Question 3

What is the importance of contributive and collaborative?

Answer 3

citizen science allows
experiments, explorations, or
inquiries to run on a large-scale,
ongoing basis, which provides
scientists with large and diverse
data sets that might have been
otherwise unavailable.

It provides opportunity for two way engagement between the public and scientists, which can
lead to increased topical literacy
in participants and has the
capacity to influence policy and
decision-making at a range of
scales, including, for example,
conservation efforts.

Question 4

What are four common features of citizen of science features?

Answer 4

(a) Anyone can participate
(b) Participants use the same protocol so data can be combined and be
high quality
(c) Data can help real scientists come to real conclusions
(d) A wide community of scientists and volunteers work together and
share data to which the public, as well as scientists, have access.

Question 5

What are advantages for citizen of science and what are some disadvantages?

Answer 5

Cost-effective
* Reliable (not cost dependant)
* Directly engages people with
environmental issues and their local
environment.
* Potential for high quality data
* Potential for highly skilled,
knowledgeable or dedicated
volunteers
* If they know their input is valuable – more incentive to follow
protocols/procedures

Disadvantages
* Needs to be simple - Participation
is likely to be reduced when
protocols are too complex or
demanding or recording needs to
be repeated over time or in
different localities.
* Volunteers need to be recruited
* Complex and structured protocols
need the specific types of
volunteers e.g. enthusiasts such as
anglers, ramblers, naturalists,
school children or others.
* Often requires substantial
investment in resources – considerable investment in money,
resources and time is usually
needed to support citizen science
* E.g. development of Apps
* Data are often “unstructured” – no consistency on time and place
– challenging to analyse

Question 6

What types of citizen of science is there?

Answer 6

• Hobby contributions
• BioBlitz – intensive
  sampling/observation event
• Coordinated, run by scientists
• Animal counts
• Environmental sampling
• Photographs
• Vacations (e.g. whale watching)
• Hiking
• Camping
• Environmental conditions (smog,
  light pollution)

Question 7

What are some types of citizen science examples?

Answer 7

american association of variable star observes

diving - coral watch

bioblitz - Large-scale citizen science field
event
* Intense period of biological
surveying in an attempt to
record all the living species
within a designated area
* Snapshot study of a specific
location

Bushblitz -
* Australia’s largest nature
discovery program (since 2009)
* Unique cross-sector partnership
that organises expeditions to
document plants and animals
across Australia
* Government
* Corporation
* Non-for-profit
* Backyard Species Discovery

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