Citizen science and its Applicability for sustainability and a healthy planet (original) (raw)
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The diversity and evolution of ecological and environmental citizen science
PloS one, 2017
Citizen science-the involvement of volunteers in data collection, analysis and interpretation-simultaneously supports research and public engagement with science, and its profile is rapidly rising. Citizen science represents a diverse range of approaches, but until now this diversity has not been quantitatively explored. We conducted a systematic internet search and discovered 509 environmental and ecological citizen science projects. We scored each project for 32 attributes based on publicly obtainable information and used multiple factor analysis to summarise this variation to assess citizen science approaches. We found that projects varied according to their methodological approach from 'mass participation' (e.g. easy participation by anyone anywhere) to 'systematic monitoring' (e.g. trained volunteers repeatedly sampling at specific locations). They also varied in complexity from approaches that are 'simple' to those that are 'elaborate' (e.g. pro...
Creating Synergies between Citizen Science and Indigenous and Local Knowledge
BioScience, 2021
Citizen science (CS) is receiving increasing attention as a conduit for Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) in ecosystem stewardship and conservation. Drawing on field experience and scientific literature, we explore the connection between CS and ILK and demonstrate approaches for how CS can generate useful knowledge while at the same time strengthening ILK systems. CS invites laypersons to contribute observations, perspectives, and interpretations feeding into scientific knowledge systems. In contrast, ILK can be understood as knowledge systems in its own right, with practices and institutions to craft legitimate and useful knowledge. Such fundamental differences in how knowledge is generated, interpreted, and applied need to be acknowledged and understood for successful outcomes. Engaging with complementary knowledge systems using a multiple evidence base approach can improve the legitimacy of CS initiatives, strengthen collaborations through ethical and reciprocal relationships with ILK holders, and contribute to better stewardship of ecosystems.
Citizen Science and Its Role in Sustainable Development
Advances in Knowledge Acquisition, Transfer, and Management, 2017
The chapter aims to analyse the role of citizen science in sustainable development, including case studies implementation, with specific focus on its suitability of citizen science in environmental sustainability. The authors structured this chapter in five sections: Background; Main focus; Solutions and recommendations for designing and executing citizen science initiatives; Future research directions with thoughts on the future role of citizen science; and Conclusion. In section of main focus, first, the authors reviewed the state of citizen science in sustainable development and explored the potential of citizen science for environmental research and governance. Second, authors identified and elaborated the core components that support the role of citizen science and demonstrated the practical approach to realize its objective. Third, using several citizens' observatories studies from various regions in Europe and within diverse environmental fields, authors highlighted the lessons learned, and reflected on major outcomes, challenges and opportunities.
Citizen Science: Theory and Practice
Citizen science is growing and increasingly realizing its potential in terms of benefiting science and society. However, there are significant barriers to engaging participants in non-Western, non-educated, non-industrialised, non-rich and non-democratic contexts. By reflecting on the experiences of 15 citizen science project coordinators, this paper contributes to the small but growing body of knowledge attempting to identify barriers and opportunities of doing citizen science with marginalised and Indigenous communities. Challenges affecting participation in the analysed projects include issues that range from lack of basic infrastructure and participant safety to unbalanced knowledge hierarchies and data rights. We found that, to overcome these challenges, projects have used several strategies, from promoting decentralized and low-tech solutions to engaging in bottom- up actions from a human-rights approach. Finally, our analysis of project impacts supports the idea that doing citizen science with marginalised and Indigenous communities might have a greater impact for participants than for science, as scientific achievements (although valuable) were not among the most important impacts highlighted in terms of project success. By providing stories from the field in a structured way, we aim to guide, to inform, and to inspire other citizen science projects, and to, ultimately, contribute to broader participation in citizen science in the future.
Investing in citizen science can improve natural resource management and environmental protection
F1000Research, 2015
C itizen science has made substantive contributions to science for hundreds of years. More recently, it has contributed to many articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has influenced natural resource management and environmental protection decisions and policies across the nation. Over the last 10 years, citizen science-participation by the public in a scientific project-has seen explosive growth in the United States and many other countries, particularly in ecology, the environmental sciences, and related fields of inquiry. The goal of this report is to help government agencies and other organizations involved in natural resource management, environmental protection, and policymaking related to both to make informed decisions about investing in citizen science. In this report, we explore the current use of citizen science in natural resource and environmental science and decisionmaking in the United States and describe the investments organizations might make to benefit from citizen science. We find that: • Many people are interested in participating in citizen science. • Citizen science already contributes to natural resource and environmental science, natural resource management, and environmental protection and policymaking. • Citizen science is a rigorous process of scientific discovery, indistinguishable from conventional science apart from the participation of volunteers, and should be treated as such in its design, implementation, and evaluation. When properly designed and used, citizen science can help an organization meet its needs for sound science. • Citizen science can contribute to natural resource and environmental organizations' goals for public input and engagement. • Many types of projects can benefit from citizen science. When planning to utilize citizen science, organizations need to match their needs and goals for science and public input and engagement to the strengths of particular citizen science projects and the ways in which the public can participate. Depending on the organization's needs and goals, citizen science can efficiently generate high-quality data or help solve problems while fostering public input and engagement. • Organizational leadership is needed to provide realistic expectations for citizen science, including its limitations as well as its benefits. Leadership is also sometimes needed to lessen administrative hurdles and to create a safe space for learning from project inefficiencies and failures. Citizen science requires strategic investments. Beyond project-specific investments, organizations should consider developing or modifying policies and technologies designed to facilitate the field of citizen science as a whole. Cover photos: Clockwise starting on the upper left: a) COASST program volunteers collecting information on a seabird carcass b) National Park Service staff and volunteers recording phenology of various plants and animals c) Volunteers sorting and identifying specimens for a biodiversity survey d) A Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources botanist training volunteers on survey methods for the Wisconsin Rare Plant Monitoring Program.
Biological Conservation, 2018
Citizen science offers significant innovation potential in science, society and policy. To foster environmental and conservation goals, citizen science can (i) generate new knowledge, (ii) enhance awareness raising and facilitate in-depth learning as well as (iii) enable civic participation. Here, we investigate how these aims are realised in citizen science projects and assess needs and challenges for advancing citizen science and stimulating future initiatives. To this end, we conducted a quantitative, web-based survey with 143 experts from the environmental and educational sector in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Our findings show that citizen science project managers pursue goals related to all three areas of potential impact. Interestingly, enabling civic participation was considered slightly less important in relation to generating new knowledge and creating learning opportunities. Different areas of necessary action emerge from our analysis. To fully realize the potential of citizen science for generating knowledge, priority should be given to enhance capacities to more effectively share research results with the scientific community through publication, also in scientific journals. Systematic evaluation is needed to gain a better understanding of citizen science learning outcomes, for which criteria need to be developed. Fostering project formats that allow participants to get involved in the whole research process-from posing the study question to implementing results-could enhance the transformative aspect of citizen science at a societal level. Important structural aspects that need to be addressed include adjustments in funding schemes, facilitation of communication between citizens and academia-based scientists, and offers for training, guidance and networking.
Citizen Science beyond Science: A Collaborative Approach for Transformative Sustainable Development
Citizen science, 2023
In this paper, we lean on experiences from South Africa as a point of departure for discussing the unrealized potentials and complications of applying collaborative, transformative citizen science (CS). We first show the value of exploring community-based ecological restoration and artistic approaches in ecological and development research. Building on these empirical insights, we outline ideas for integrating CS into such research, not only to collect additional data, but as a way to increase incentives and capacities among both CS participants and researchers, and to change mindsets across time and institutional scales. Multiple interlinked Sustainable Development Goals are within reach, exemplified by the monitoring and advancement of Clean Water, Life on Land, and Sustainable Cities and Communities-critical goals to address current and prospective demographic and climatic changes in the context of fast-expanding urban environments and beyond.