Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
It is a type of research in which the citizens (amateurs and no professional researchers) take action and support a targeted research. The selection of the participants for this research varies from a very simple (open to anybody) to more complex processes (eg. to a selected audience or a selected number of participants). The results of the research are analyzed by expert researchers who also ensure their publication to a broader or targeted audience.
Citation preview
Citizen sciencean applied research designed for amateurs & volunteers
a win win situation
Dr. Peri KourakliThessaloniki – European Youth Capital [email protected]
What is Citizen Science?
Citizen Science (citizen science, crowd science, civic
science, networked science, etc) is the scientific research that conducts, in whole or in part, from
amateurs and non professional researchers; often by crowdsourcing and crowdfunding.
Citizen science is sometimes called "public participation in scientific research”
Is this sth new? How do we research?
<1900: “gentleman scientists” (Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Darwin,..)
1900-1970: only researchers
1970-1980: researchers asks for democratism of research ( . πχ Paul Feyerabend, philosopher, Erwin Chargaff, biochemist)
1980: introduction of “Citizen Science” from Rick Bonney, Cornell's Laboratory of Ornithology
1979-1981: The first research of this type from amateurs naturalists (Drs. Don McCrimmon and Cal Smith)
Is this sth recognizable in Europe?
Green Paper on Citizen Science: Citizen Science for Europe - Towards a better society of empowered citizens and enhanced research (2013)
http://www.socientize.eu/sites/default/files/Green%20Paper%20on%20Citizen%20Science%202013.pdf
What makes it a Citizen Science research
It is an applied research
It responds to a need of the society
It can not be conducted without the support of amateurs
It is a vision, plan and implementation in which real scientists and experts are having a lead role
The results of the research are public and have a medium or long term perspective
Some methods
Promotion of the mature Citizen Science’s projects (eg. with exhibitions – Natural History Museum of North Carolina, USA)
Taking advantage of smart phones applications (eg. Apps for birds, wild life, meteorology, starts, etc.)
Citizens invitation for participation, (eg. monitoring wild life cameras to mission participation)
Developing online games (eg. NASA, Clickworkers)
Developing online platforms (eg. Worldbirds, Field Expedition: Mongolia, Zooniverse,..)
Basic steps while design it
1. What is it about? How can it function?
2. How can we support its realization?
3. What does it motivate people so to take part in the research and what does it discourage them?
4. How can I implement it with the best efficiency ?
5. How do I monitor and evaluate the efficiency?
EXAMPLES Monitoring
Monitoring of bird species, populations and habitats for BirdLife International (eg. global caretakers network)
American Association of Variable Star Observers collects data for stars
Bugguide.net, an online naturalists community, shares information regarding arthropods, which are coded by professionals
The EU project Citclops (2012–2015) monitors the environmental status of water bodies
The online game Quantum Moves (Αarhus University) supports the resolving of quantum physic problems through the solutions that the players provide
Amateurs directly analyze data of researchers (SETILive, Clumpy, EyeWire, Galaxy Zoo , etc Zooniverse projects)
Collect information through contests (NASA call for developing a space application)
Using human body as a scientific sensor (eg. the app Loss of the Night, platforms as Cell Slider and Cell Spotting)
EXAMPLES Analysis
Travel to areas that research can not go, eg. ocean (DeepSea Challenger) and space(citizens in Space)
Volunteers in research centers or research missions (Earthwatch Institute)
Creation and operation of unique scientific instruments that collect data as a part of a larger project ( . πχ project for sailors, amateur radio, amateur astronomy)
Creation of collective sensor networks in order to achieve information of extremely high resolution (eg. Safecast)
EXAMPLES Networking- Volunteers
EXAMPLES Thessaloniki European Youth Capital 2014
“Clean Thess” An applied research on the urban
operational problems inspired by London’s Olympic Games
A tool to activate and network both local civil services and citizens
Based on android and web applications
www.cleanthess.gr
This presentation is based on:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
www.thessaloniki2014.gr
