Citizen Science Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

This presentation is part of the Social Values in Medical Research track. Due to higher than national average breast cancer rates and deaths on Long Island the U.S. Congress in 1993 ordered a study of breast cancer on the island. The Long... more

This presentation is part of the Social Values in Medical Research track. Due to higher than national average breast cancer rates and deaths on Long Island the U.S. Congress in 1993 ordered a study of breast cancer on the island. The Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project (LIBCSP), federally funded under Public Law 103-43, conducted by the National Cancer Institute

Das Badische Landesmuseum verfolgt seit einigen Jahren die Umsetzung eines neuen Museumskonzepts, in dessen Zentrum die Neudefinition der Besucher*innen als aktive Nutzer*innen des Museums steht. Sind in den aktuellen... more

Das Badische Landesmuseum verfolgt seit einigen Jahren die Umsetzung eines neuen Museumskonzepts, in dessen Zentrum die Neudefinition der Besucher*innen als aktive Nutzer*innen des Museums steht. Sind in den aktuellen Sammlungsausstellungen rund 13.000 Exponate zu sehen, wird durch die Öffnung der Depots Schritt für Schritt der Gesamtbestand von etwa500.000 Objekten erschlossen und zugänglich gemacht. Wie in einem „Archiv der Sachkultur“ erhalten die Nutzer*innen Zugang zu ihrem kulturellen Erbe.

The mosquito Aedes aegypti transmits arboviral diseases at extraordinary rates. Dengue alone afflicts 50 to 100 million people each year, with more than 3 billion at risk globally. This indicates that current approaches to prevention and... more

The mosquito Aedes aegypti transmits arboviral diseases at extraordinary rates. Dengue alone afflicts 50 to 100 million people each year, with more than 3 billion at risk globally. This indicates that current approaches to prevention and control are inadequate, and that a paradigm shift from one that largely promotes vertical chemical-based control and vaccine development to one that also concentrates on eliminating the mosquito through actions by the communities it plagues is necessary. We have developed a new social and software platform, DengueChat (denguechat.org), to advance community interventions in arbovirus vector control. It is an interactive platform combining open-source digital communication technologies with face-to-face assemblies. It promotes resident participation in evidence collection, reporting, and analysis, and it incorporates pedagogic information, key messaging, and game concepts to motivate communities to implement vector reduction strategies. Using DengueCh...

Ecologists who are interested in using Pokémon Go to find new species (see Nature535, 323–324 (2016) and F. de Oliveira Roque Nature537, 34; 2016) could also adopt the gameplay concept to set up wildlife-monitoring schemes that are fun... more

Ecologists who are interested in using Pokémon Go to find new species (see Nature535, 323–324 (2016) and F. de Oliveira Roque Nature537, 34; 2016) could also adopt the gameplay concept to set up wildlife-monitoring schemes that are fun for the public.

Traditionally, biological resources have been used extensively for health care, healing practices and livelihoods. Ethno-biographical accounts narrate their widespread and informed use among various populations and cultures. Knowledge... more

Traditionally, biological resources have been used extensively for health care, healing practices and livelihoods. Ethno-biographical accounts narrate their widespread and informed use among various populations and cultures. Knowledge related to their use is specific. Local communities play a crucial role for linking knowledge on characterization of biological resources and conservation, utilization and health-related knowledge

In "The Rise of Citizen Science in Health and Biomedical Research," Wiggins and Wilbanks present an analysis of the ethics of citizen science (Wiggins and Wilbanks 2019). The breadth of the analysis does not reach what is one of the more... more

In "The Rise of Citizen Science in Health and Biomedical Research," Wiggins and Wilbanks present an analysis of the ethics of citizen science (Wiggins and Wilbanks 2019). The breadth of the analysis does not reach what is one of the more important features of contemporary life, however: an analysis of the power imbalances inherent in this social activity. Science is given a unique position of power in contemporary culture, and from this position has the potential to influence individuals who are less powerful in multiple ways.

Citizen Science (CS) refers to a form of research collaboration that engages volunteers without formal scientific training in contributing to empirical scientific projects. Virtual Citizen Science (VCS) projects engage participants in... more

Citizen Science (CS) refers to a form of research collaboration that engages volunteers without formal scientific training in contributing to empirical scientific projects. Virtual Citizen Science (VCS) projects engage participants in online tasks. VCS has demonstrated its usefulness for research, however little is known about its learning potential for volunteers. This paper reports on research exploring the learning outcomes and processes in VCS. In order to identify different kinds of learning, 32 exploratory interviews of volunteers were conducted in three different VCS projects. We found six main learning outcomes related to different participants' activities in the project. Volunteers learn on four dimensions that are directly related to the scope of the VCS project: they learn at the task/game level, acquire
pattern recognition skills, on-topic content knowledge, and improve their scientific literacy. Thanks to indirect opportunities of VCS projects, volunteers learn on two additional dimensions: off topic knowledge and skills, and personal development. Activities through which volunteers learn can be categorized in two levels: at a micro (task/game) level that is direct participation to the task, and at a macro level, i.e. use of project documentation, personal research on the Internet, and practicing specific roles in project communities. Both types are influenced by interactions with others in chat or forums. Most learning happens to
be informal, unstructured and social. Volunteers do not only learn from others by interacting with scientists and their peers, but also by working for others: they gain knowledge, new status and skills by acting as active participants, moderators, editors, translators, community managers, etc. in a project community. This research highlights these informal and social aspects in adult learning and science education and also stresses the importance for learning through the indirect opportunities provided by the project: the main one being the opportunity to participate and progress in a project community, according to one's tastes and skills.

Insect conservation needs sound information on species distribution trends. Developing this evidence relies-in practice-on long-term engagement of volunteers who observe and record species over large spatial and temporal scales. Many... more

Insect conservation needs sound information on species distribution trends. Developing this evidence relies-in practice-on long-term engagement of volunteers who observe and record species over large spatial and temporal scales. Many biodiversity monitoring schemes, including those for insects, are highly dependent on conservation-based citizen science programs with a long-term continuity. As these schemes are built entirely on good will, the nature of social relations and networks is pivotal to success. We assess the working mechanism of a monitoring scheme that is citizen-based as a case study. The German Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (hereafter TMD for "Tagfalter-Monitoring Deutschland") operates, as many other citizen science monitoring schemes, through an overarching national network of regional subnetworks of volunteers and a central scientific coordination. Using a questionnaire survey paired with a visual social network assessment, we investigate how participants interact within these networks and assess their motivations to engage. We characterise the functionality of this social network based on mechanism of coordination and participation, flows of information and knowledge exchange among recorders, regional and central coordinators, academic scientists and institutions. By analyzing the interactions, we show how the social network facilitates and ensures various communication modes and thereby fosters long-term engagement , stability and growth of the scheme. We identify the central role of project coordination and the importance of social relations within citizen-based monitoring programs for engagement and personal satisfaction. Based on our empirical study, we derive a set of recommendations for establishing and maintaining successful volunteer networks in insect citizen-based monitoring programs.

Noise pollution in Malta and more specifically in the Birkirkara-Mrieħel region is not studied. This is mainly due to lack of regulations as well as due to the lack of management plans set in place to monitor and reduce high levels of... more

Noise pollution in Malta and more specifically in the Birkirkara-Mrieħel region is not studied. This is mainly due to lack of regulations as well as due to the lack of management plans set in place to monitor and reduce high levels of noise. The area of study was chosen because it incorporated three different land-use types, which were domestic, agricultural and industrial zones. Noise was monitored and compared between the three different zones, as well as between different hours within the day time frame (7a.m.-7p.m.).
Measurements were taken during the peak periods in weekdays. Inititially, the potential use of smartphones for future crowd-sourced assessment for noise pollution and/or their use for the identification of unhealthy noise levels was investigated. This was done by comparing the data collected by various phone makes with that recorded by professional sound level meters. The results derived from this study showed that noise was louder in industrial zones than in domestic zones and that agricultural zones were as loud as domestic ones. It also showed that there were variations between noise in the morning and noise in the afternoon in the industrial area, but there were no significant differences between morning and afternoon measurements for the domestic and the agricultural zone. Results also showed that there is the possibility of using smartphones to measure noise however measurements are not accurate enough to fall within the range required for professional noise-measuring equipment, and results are influenced by the phone brand and by the phone application used to collect data.

We characterized the landscape-level habitat use of Megascops asio (Eastern Screech Owl) in a suburban/urban region of New York and Connecticut using citizenscience methodologies and GIS-based land-use information. Volunteers sampled... more

We characterized the landscape-level habitat use of Megascops asio (Eastern
Screech Owl) in a suburban/urban region of New York and Connecticut using citizenscience
methodologies and GIS-based land-use information. Volunteers sampled their
properties using call-playback surveys in the summers of 2009 and 2010. We modeled
detection and occupancy as functions of distance to forest and two coarse measures
of development. AICc-supported models were validated with an independent dataset
collected by trained professionals. Validated models indicated a negative association
between occupancy and percent forest cover or, similarly, a positive association with
percent impervious cover. When compared against the systematic dataset, models that
used forest cover as a predictor had the highest accuracy (kappa = 0.73 ± 0.18) in predicting
the occupancy observations in the systematic survey. After accounting for detection,
both datasets support similar owl-habitat patterns of predicting occupancy in developed
areas compared to highly rural. While there is likely a minimum amount of forest cover
and/or maximum level of urbanization that Screech Owls can tolerate, such limits appear
to be beyond the ranges sampled in this study. Future research that seeks to determine
this development limit should focus on very urbanized areas. The high accuracy of the
citizen-science models in predicting the systematic dataset indicates that volunteer-based
efforts can provide reliable data for wildlife studies.

We explored the COVID-19 pandemic as a context for learning about the role of science in a global health crisis. In spring 2020, at the beginning of the first pandemic-related lockdown, we worked with a high school teacher to design and... more

We explored the COVID-19 pandemic as a context for learning about the role of science in a global health crisis. In spring 2020, at the beginning of the first pandemic-related lockdown, we worked with a high school teacher to design and implement a unit on human brain and behavior science. The unit guided her 17 students in creating studies that explored personally relevant questions about the pandemic to contribute to a citizen science platform. Pre-/postsurveys, student artifacts, and student and teacher interviews showed increases in students' fascination with science-a driver of engagement and career preference-and sense of agency as citizen scientists. Students approached science as a tool for addressing their pandemic-related concerns but were hampered by the challenges of remote schooling. These findings highlight both the opportunities of learning from a global crisis, and the need to consider how that crisis is still affecting learners.

This chapter investigates how Japanese citizens collectively engaged with monitorial practices after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. In particular, it examines the Radiation Disaster Alert Network (R-DAN) and shows how the... more

This chapter investigates how Japanese citizens collectively engaged with monitorial practices after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. In particular, it examines the Radiation Disaster Alert Network (R-DAN) and shows how the grassroots network evolved and developed over more than 30 years with a particular focus on the monitorial ethic of R-DAN. The findings of this research indicate that R-DAN’s choice of a specific dosimeter imposes not merely a condition in which R-DAN engaged with data production practice, but also necessarily contributes to re-shaping its collective view of health and safety for generating its monitorial ethic.

Participatory action research (PAR) puts high emphasis on the interaction of the research participants. However, with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, the central role of researchers in participatory research processes... more

Participatory action research (PAR) puts high emphasis on the interaction of the research participants. However, with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, the central role of researchers in participatory research processes had to be questioned and revisited. New modes of PAR developed dynamically under the new circumstances created by the pandemic. To better understand how Covid-19 changed the way PAR is applied, we analyzed PAR in agricultural research for development carried out in the Programme for Climate-Smart Livestock Systems (PCSL) implemented by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) at five research sites in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda. To understand how PAR changed in a component on adaptation research in the PCSL we facilitated a reflexive study with livestock keepers and researchers to document their experiences of PAR during the Covid-19 pandemic. The analytical framework focuses on highlighting the core characteristics and the underlying ethos of PAR in this case study. The lessons learnt in the process of adapting to the realities of doing participatory research in the middle of a pandemic provide important arguments for further amalgamating the PAR philosophy into similar research designs. The onset of the pandemic has led to a further decentering of the researcher and a shift of the focus to the citizen, in this case the local livestock keeper, that made it more participatory in the stricter interpretation of the term. Letting go of controlling both narrative and implementation of the research will be challenging for researchers in many research fields. However, this shift of power and this transformation of research methodologies is inevitable if the research should remain relevant and impactful. Ultimately, the transition into a Covid-19 future and the awareness that similar pandemics could dramatically interrupt our lives any time, will have an impact on how projects are designed and funded. More long-term funding and less pressure on providing immediate results can build community trust and ownership for research at a local level.

This study examines the influence of chronic stress, varied positive and negative emotions on eating behaviors, and weight among 91 community-dwelling African American women 18–40 years old. Study measures include hair cortisol,... more

This study examines the influence of chronic stress, varied positive and negative emotions on eating behaviors, and weight among 91 community-dwelling African American women 18–40 years old. Study measures include hair cortisol, Differential Emotional Scale IV, Eating Behavior Pattern Questionnaire, demographic form, waist circumference, and Body Mass Index (BMI). Analysis revealed positive emotions of interest (rs = .27, p = .011) and surprise (rs = .23, p = .029) were associated with low fat eating. Negative emotions of anger (rs = .23, p = .035), shyness (rs = .29, p = .006), and guilt (rs = .24, p = .022) were positively associated with emotional eating. Mediation analysis suggests that emotional eating mediates anger (indirect effect = 0.136), shyness (0.144), guilt (0.187), and BMI among young African American women. Chronic stress and positive and negative emotions impact eating behaviors and should be considered for successful weight management among African American women.

Effective natural resource policy depends on knowing what is needed to sustain a resource and building the capacity to identify, develop, and implement flexible policies. This retrospective case study applies resilience concepts to a... more

Effective natural resource policy depends on knowing what is needed to sustain a resource and building the capacity to identify, develop, and implement flexible policies. This retrospective case study applies resilience concepts to a 16-year citizen science program and vernal pool regulatory development process in Maine, USA. We describe how citizen science improved adaptive capacities for innovative and effective policies to regulate vernal pools. We identified two core program elements that allowed people to act within narrow windows of opportunity for policy transformation, including (1) the simultaneous generation of useful, credible scientific knowledge and construction of networks among diverse institutions, and (2) the formation of diverse leadership that promoted individual and collective abilities to identify problems and propose policy solutions. If citizen science program leaders want to promote social-ecological systems resilience and natural resource policies as outcomes, we recommend they create a system for internal project evaluation, publish scientific studies using citizen science data, pursue resources for program sustainability, and plan for leadership diversity and informal networks to foster adaptive governance.

In this presentation, I explore Rittel and Webber’s (1973) concept of "wicked problems," specifically focusing on how such problems occasion radically innovative forms of collaborations. In particular, I focus on the crowd sourced... more

In this presentation, I explore Rittel and Webber’s (1973) concept of "wicked problems," specifically focusing on how such problems occasion radically innovative forms of collaborations. In particular, I focus on the crowd sourced initiatives known as citizen science that offer individuals and communities the opportunity to participate in the making of scientific work. Citizen science projects offer ways for non-scientific experts to make sense of wicked problems—while also contributing to our collective responses. My contention is that in citizen science projects, the technical communicator must play a critical role in ensuring that initiatives are ethically committed to reciprocal cooperation between scientific and local communities.

Memorial days of disasters represent an opportunity to evaluate the progress of recovery. This article uses sentiment analysis (SA) to assess post-disaster recovery on the 10th anniversary of L’Aquila’s earthquake using Twitter data. We... more

Memorial days of disasters represent an opportunity to evaluate the progress of recovery. This article uses sentiment analysis (SA) to assess post-disaster recovery on the 10th anniversary of L’Aquila’s earthquake using Twitter data. We have analyzed 4349 tweets from 4 to 10 April 2019 with the hashtag: #L’Aquila that we have obtained from a third-party vendor. The polarity is first defined using a supervised classification based on experts’ rules on post-disaster reconstruction and Grammarly tones. Then, this polarity is compared with the outcome of an unsupervised classification based on the pre-trained SA machine learning algorithm developed by MonkeyLearn. We have found a significant negative assessment of the post-disaster recovery process in L’Aquila. About 33.1% of the tweets had a negative polarity, followed by 29.3% tweets with a neutral polarity, 28.7% with positive polarity, and 8.9% unrelated to the anniversary. Further analysis of the tweets confirms that after 10 years...

Comprendre les enjeux contemporains des « sciences participatives » suppose d’interroger leur profondeur historique. Celles-ci s’insèrent en effet dans des transformations, sur la longue durée, des conditions de la production des savoirs,... more

Comprendre les enjeux contemporains des « sciences participatives » suppose d’interroger leur profondeur historique. Celles-ci s’insèrent en effet dans des transformations, sur la longue durée, des conditions de la production des savoirs, des personnes susceptibles d’y prendre part, et des publics concernés. En remontant au XVIIe siècle, nous proposons de parcourir ici à grands pas, jusqu’au présent, l’histoire d’une science qui s’institutionnalise puis se professionnalise, permettant ou non à la variété des personnes qui le désirent de participer à l’élaboration des connaissances. Des débats entourant la création des académies des sciences jusqu’aux programmes de sciences participatives contemporains, en passant par l’émergence de la figure de l’amateur désireux de participer pleinement à la science, il s’agit de restituer une complexité historique permettant d’éclairer, et peut-être de dépasser, les rôles attribués aux scientifiques et au public aujourd’hui.

In recent years, public engagement in museums is increasingly being influenced by the paradigm of "citizen science", that is, active participation in research teams by members of the general public with no formal training in the field of... more

In recent years, public engagement in museums is increasingly being influenced by the paradigm of "citizen science", that is, active participation in research teams by members of the general public with no formal training in the field of research concerned. This paper provides an overview of citizen science approaches which museums can deploy using online platforms, digital tools and apps. It also aims to highlight challenges and innovations, as well as possible opportunities for cultural organisations to include public participation in research and knowledge creation. Alan Turing. Citizen science. Crowdsourcing. Museums. Public engagement. Public research.

The objective of this BiodivERsA toolkit is to inform scientists working in the fields of biodiversity and, more generally, in environmental sciences, about the potential benefits of Citizen Science, and to provide a summary of the... more

The objective of this BiodivERsA toolkit is to inform scientists working in the fields of biodiversity and, more generally, in environmental sciences, about the potential benefits of Citizen Science, and to provide a summary of the rationale to develop Citizen Science, current best practices, and useful resources in the field.
It is aimed at researchers and scientists involved in re- search projects where Citizen Science could be used for data collection or public/stakeholder engagement
(or where existing Citizen Science data could be used). It is expected that this could help scientists to better consider the different dimensions (Figure 1) and potential of Citizen Science as part of their research projects.
Using examples from a variety of projects, including but not restricted to BiodivERsA-funded projects, this toolkit aims to improve the understanding of Citizen Science practices and overcome potential barriers in research projects.
This toolkit has been developed following the BiodivERsA Citizen Science workshop that took place on the 2nd and 3rd of April 2019 in Brussels, at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. The workshop was part of a larger joint European Citizen Science event, co-organised by BiodivERsA, and including the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA)’s General Assembly and the ‘Doing it Together Science’ project (DITOs) Final Event. It was followed by a Bioblitz organised at Meise Botanic Garden in the afternoon of the workshop.
We also aim to address issues expressed in a survey conducted among BiodivERsA scientists in 2018 (see Part II Benefits and challenges) which revealed a general positive interest in Citizen Science, but also a lack of knowledge or guidance in this field. This prompted the development of the present toolkit.

Opisthobranchs are gastropod molluscs with highly diverse body forms, cryptic colouration, diets and habitats, and represent one of the least studied molluscan taxa in India, especially along the southwest coast of India. This paper... more

Opisthobranchs are gastropod molluscs with highly diverse body forms, cryptic colouration, diets and habitats, and represent one of the least studied molluscan taxa in India, especially along the southwest coast of India. This paper documents the presence of 15 species of nudibranchs under the families Chromodorididae, Discodorididae, Phyllidiidae and Dendrodorididae from Kerala coast of India, including two new records to India and five new records to west coast of India as the first citizen science initiative in India to document marine biodiversity. The new records to India include Hoplodoris bifurcata (Baba, 1993) and Hoplodoris flammea Fahey and Gosliner, 2003 (Discodorididae), both being recorded for the first time from the western Indian Ocean.

Projetos de Ciência Cidadã podem auxiliar no esclarecimento de estudantes da educação básica sobre a importância da biodiversidade vegetal. O presente trabalho visa relatar e refletir a formação de professores da educação básica em... more

Projetos de Ciência Cidadã podem auxiliar no esclarecimento de estudantes da educação básica sobre a importância da biodiversidade vegetal. O presente trabalho visa relatar e refletir a formação de professores da educação básica em protocolo de ciência cidadã relacionado aos serviços ecossistêmicos prestados pelas árvores urbanas. O curso de formação foi dividido em 4 momentos: 1) Encontro presencial introdutório; 2) Simulação da aplicação do protocolo pelos professores; 3) Aplicação dos protocolos em suas escolas; 4) Encontro para relatos das experiências nas escolas e avaliação. Os professores relataram melhora na percepção dos alunos em relação às árvores urbanas ao seu redor e aumento no conhecimento sobre os benefícios, malefícios e serviços ecossistêmicos prestados pelas mesmas.

Citizen Science refers to the consultation, participation, engagement or involvement of the general public in research. Rationales for this interaction include increased public access and involvement of citizens in research, immersion of... more

Citizen Science refers to the consultation, participation, engagement or involvement of the general public in research. Rationales for this interaction include increased public access and involvement of citizens in research, immersion of community values relevant to research, outreach, and educational potential with the public, and ultimately, the democratization of science. This paper focuses on the specific subset of citizen science that seeks to engage “patient partners” in health research to gain the valuable experiential knowledge of those living with a disease. Greater patient engagement in research (PER) can provide researchers with insights about citizen values and needs relevant to determining research priorities, methodology, applications, and ethical parameters; this would ideally lead to more effective real-world applications. Over the last decade, projects involving patients partners in research (PPRs) have varied from mere tokenism and undervaluation to full involvement and empowerment of patient participants – the former, a subject of criticism, and the latter, promoted as an ideal. In this article, we will argue that the value of that experiential knowledge from PPRs should not only be acknowledged through its ongoing use, but also through recognition of participants who contribute to the creation and application of new knowledge. We will explore types of recognition that might be attributed to PPRs, including scientific recognition; financial recognition or reward; personal and altruistic recognition; and the beneficial outcomes of research applications. We also will consider whether such types of recognition could be applied to the broader field of citizen science.

V predkladanom príspevku predstavujeme projekt Slovníka policajných profesionalizmov, odkrývame cesty jeho budovania prostredníctvom tzv. „občianskej vedy“ a približujeme ciele jeho tvorby s očakávanými efektmi. V štúdii prezentujeme... more

V predkladanom príspevku predstavujeme projekt Slovníka policajných profesionalizmov, odkrývame cesty jeho budovania prostredníctvom tzv. „občianskej vedy“ a približujeme ciele jeho tvorby s očakávanými efektmi. V štúdii prezentujeme bohatý ilustračný materiál slovníka na priblíženie jazykového obrazu policajného sveta. Materiálové ilustrácie prepájame s jazykovou ilustráciou spôsobov utvárania takýchto slov a s interpretáciou ich užitočnosti pre používateľov. Na základe predstavenej analýzy a interpretácie konštatujeme, že Slovník policajných profesionalizmov podporí zbližovanie verejnosti s touto profesionálnou skupinou a súčasne aj zbližovanie príslušníkov rôznych odborov bezpečnostných zložiek vzájomne. Slovník môže zároveň prispieť k rýchlejšej adaptácii nového príslušníka Policajného zboru Slovenskej republiky v policajnej praxi.
Kľúčové slová: policajné profesionalizmy, občianska veda, jazykový obraz sveta polície, dynamika, sociálna inklúzia.

Coastal prairies are the primary winter destination for two dozen species of migratory grassland birds and losses of this habitat have proven detrimental to their populations. As a result, some of Partners in Flight's (PIF) highest... more

Coastal prairies are the primary winter destination for two dozen species of migratory grassland birds and losses of this habitat have proven detrimental to their populations. As a result, some of Partners in Flight's (PIF) highest priority birds are grassland species. To examine grassland bird use of coastal prairies, Project Prairie Birds survey methodology was designed and field work was initiated in 1998. Avian surveys were conducted at 34 sites, each with multiple tran- sects for a minimum of two years by all-volunteer, three-person crews identifying all species flushed from vegetation. Seasonal vegetation surveys measured five variables using five one square-meter sample areas. We also measured vertical thickness using a density board. We selected nine sites (26.5%) with three or more years of survey data for analysis. Thirty-nine species were detected of which 36% have PIF combined species assessment scores of 10 or above. In addition, 24% of the individuals were Le Conte...

Die Bachelorarbeit "Historymemes - a citizen science of the past?" möchte das Demokratisierungspotenzial von Memes für die Geschichtswissenschaft darstellen. Memes die ein historisches Narrativ wiedergeben werden in ihrer Performativität... more

Die Bachelorarbeit "Historymemes - a citizen science of the past?" möchte das Demokratisierungspotenzial von Memes für die Geschichtswissenschaft darstellen. Memes die ein historisches Narrativ wiedergeben werden in ihrer Performativität charakterisiert, ihr Citizen-Science- sowie ihr allgemeines Partizipationspotenzial herausgearbeitet.

Ce rapport contient le Plan de réduction du risques d'inondation de Tallé, un village administratif de la commune rurale de Gothèye, région de Tillabéri, Niger. Tallé (2 603 habitants en 2012, 0,5 km2 de surface bâtie en 2019) est situé... more

Ce rapport contient le Plan de réduction du risques d'inondation de Tallé, un village administratif de la commune rurale de Gothèye, région de Tillabéri, Niger. Tallé (2 603 habitants en 2012, 0,5 km2 de surface bâtie en 2019) est situé le long de la rivière Sirba, près de la confluence avec le fleuve Niger. Le village est menacé par les inondations fluviales. Le plan est structuré selon l’ISO 31010. L’analyse intègre les connaissances locales et scientifiques. Le processus de planification est entièrement participatif. Les risque d’inondation est identifié et analysé. Les zones inondables suite au débordement de la Sirba et de reflux du fleuve Niger sont identifiées en fonction de trois scénarios de probabilité d’occurrence grâce à une modélisation hydraulique 1D. Les enjeux sont identifiés après une reconnaissance systématique de terrain. Huit mesures de réduction du risque sont sélectionnées et classées par ordre de priorité. L’analyse bénéfice/coût est utilisée pour évaluer l’intérêt de traiter ou d’accepter le risque. Le dispositif de suivi-évaluation est décrit. Le plan comprend règlement des zones inondables, le zonage règlementaire, les cartes des aléas et des enjeux, ainsi que des fiches décrivant chaque action prioritaire. --- (ENGLISH) This report contains the Flood Risk Reduction Plan for Tallé, an administrative village of the rural municipality of Gothèye, Tillabéri region, Niger. Garbey Kourou (2603 inhabitants in 2012, 0.5 km2 of built up area in 2019) is located along the Sirba River, close to the confluence with the Niger River. The village is threatened by fluvial floods. The plan is structured according to the ISO 31010. The analysis integrates local and scientific knowledge. The planning process is fully participatory. Flood risk is identified and analyzed. Areas inundated by the flood of the Sirba river and the backwaters of the Niger river are identified according to three river flood probability of occurrence scenarios through a 1D hydraulic modeling. Floodable assets are identified through a systematic field survey. Eight risk reduction actions are selected and prioritized. Benefit/cost analysis is used to assess the convenience of treating or accepting the risk. The monitoring and evaluation system is described. The plan consists of the flood zone regulation, hazard, assets, and zoning maps, and sheets describing each priority action.

This research explores the ongoing citizen science development for cetacean research and conservation from a social science perspective. Cetaceans such as whales and dolphins, as flagship species, are considered a motivator for many... more

This research explores the ongoing citizen science development for cetacean research and conservation from a social science perspective. Cetaceans such as whales and dolphins, as flagship species, are considered a motivator for many people to engage with citizen science programs and a way to connect humans to nature and potentially bridge the gap between science and the public. On-site and online, e.g. crowdsourcing programs, were explored to first define a range of projects that currently exist, then an empirical case study in Piran, Slovenia is presented to gain everyday insights of experiences of citizen science. Finally, the case study’s findings are put into a broader perspective by contrasting them with findings gained from 14 interviews with experts who are involved in cetacean citizen science projects around the world. Overall, the findings from the expert interviews could often be confirmed and interpreted in the daily examples in Slovenia. Effects of citizen science projects can reach far beyond the general scientific benefits. Projects have the potential to influence the everyday life of all three sides involved; the participants’, experts’ and cetaceans’ over a long period of time, and it may change attitudes and behavior and contribute towards conservation on a larger scale. In a number of cases, effects on the surrounding communities, policy making processes and society as such could potentially be attributed. Currently, promising initiatives are out there in the world of cetacean research and conservation, however this is just the beginning e.g. in terms of policy making and the potential has not been reached by far. It is time to realize the full potential of citizen science programs in relation to that. However, findings also show that if projects are not carefully implemented or the term citizen science is used without scientific guidance, they can potentially have negative effects upon cetacean research and conservation. It is therefore recommended to be very cautious and to take one step at a time when implementing a citizen science project and not to underestimate the social aspects. Since this study was intended to be a first step, a baseline, more research is needed to reveal further details and directions.
Keywords: Citizen Science, Crowdsourcing, Cetaceans, Public Engagement, Science-Public Relation, Conservation