Part of collaborative citizen science presentation with James Stewart and co-developed with Eugenia Rodrigues, for the UoE Institute for Study of Science, Technology and Innovation Retreat. 9th June 2015.

1. What does it mean to build a
Citizen Science Project?
Nicola Osborne
Jisc MediaHub Service Manager /
Digital Education Manager

2. Multi Faceted Process
• Decision over whether designing the scientific and/or
science communication purpose?
• Identifying audience(s), community(s).
• Identifying the level of engagement required or
preferred.
• Technical considerations: what is neccassary; what is
possible; what can citizens access/use.
• Quality considerations.
• Establishing required levels of support and
engagement.
• Designing communication, feedback and reward plans
and mechanisms to ensure citizens remain motived.
• Mechanism to conclude, exit or handover project.

3. Defining Purpose: Science or Science
Communication/Engagement/Education?
• Does the science matter?
• If not, how will volunteers be motivated and expectations
managed?
• Does it matter who volunteers?
• Are citizens to be empowered? Informed? Awareness
raised? Are they simply undertaking tasks?
• How will the task be broken into manageable sub tasks?
• What are the benefits and risks of gamifying
tasks/participation for this project and community?
• How can quality and reliability of data be assured, or
assessed?
• What role will experts or more experienced volunteers
play?

4. Technology and Tool Design Matters
• Impacts accuracy of data collected (e.g. volunteered vs.
GPS vs. IP based location).
• Interface design, usability, familiarity and language -
can ease or increase complexity of participation.
• Home computer based tasks can exclude participation
by e.g. lower income, older, less able, or more
remotely located communities (see RSE 2014).
• Mobile devices limit to those with appropriate devices,
often also limited to those with iOS/Android/etc. Also
require wifi or 3G signals, or apps/interfaces which can
function offline.
• App and data upload size may mean volunteers incur
costs.

5. Example: FieldTrip

6. Quality Assurance
• Trust in Citizen Science by researchers varies,
quality impacts re/use.
• Quality Assurance method/process :
– Manual/moderation (e.g. Conker Tree Science);
– Repetition and redundancy (e.g. Galaxy Zoo);
– Targeted comparison with trusted data (e.g. sensors);
– Technical measures (e.g. location of submission);
– Trust/expertise level (e.g. based on previous
submissions).
• Social challenges of managing potential rejection
of volunteered data/effort.

7. Example: COBWEB

8. Communication & Expectation
Management
• What level of participation is required for a success?
• How does that participation look: public events; private
participation at home?
• How is participation enabled: training or scaffolding; risks/warning
messages; support, guidance, teaching materials etc.
• What motivates this community/these volunteers and keeps their
engagement?
• Will volunteers be acknowledged and rewarded?
• Contingency planning – poor
participation, less successful
outcomes, expectation
management
• Communication of science,
research, project results.
• End point or exit plan?

9. Issues Raised Include..
• The role of the citizen, and expectations of what
it is to be an active citizen.
• Relationship between amateurs and experts.
• Role of reward and remuneration for work
undertaken.
• Volunteer motivation, engagement, buy in.
• Transparency of scientific process.
• Quality and credibility of scientific process.
• Peer and community education around science.
• Community dynamics and roles.

10. References & Resources
• Roy, H. et al 2012. Understanding Citizen Science for Environmental
Monitoring. CEH. Available from:
http://www.ceh.ac.uk/news/news_archive/documents/understandi
ngcitizenscienceenvironmentalmonitoring_report_final.pdf
• Royal Society of Edinburgh, 2014. Spreading the Benefits of Digital
Participation in Scotland Final Report. Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Available from:
http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/1058_SpreadingtheBenefitsofDigital
Participation.html
• COBWEB Project Website: cobwebproject.eu
• FieldTrip Website: http://fieldtripgb.edina.ac.uk/authoring/
• UoE Citizen Science and Crowd Sourcing Network:
http://citsci.ed.ac.uk/