Citizen science involves members of the public participating in scientific research projects in various ways. It can involve unpaid volunteers simply contributing data to projects, but may also allow for more extensive co-creation, where public groups participate in designing studies, methods, and analysis. Crowdsourcing utilizes the collective intelligence of large groups online to analyze large datasets or solve complex problems. Examples discussed include projects in neuroscience that use crowdsourcing to analyze brain images. The document outlines opportunities, challenges and definitions around different models of citizen science. It provides resources for those interested in learning more or getting involved in related projects and discussions.
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The promise of #citizenscience
1. The promise of #citizenscience?
Have fun, learn & save the world together
Turing’s Sunflowers
Everyday Growing
#Hooked
Erinma Ochu @erinmaochu & Natalie Ireland @voiceofmosi
University of Manchester & MOSI
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3. Definitions/ Approaches
Citizen Science
Usually unpaid individuals & interest groups contributing to
scientific experiments
Co-design/ co-created (or extreme citizen science)
Public groups participate in setting research question(s), methods and/
or analysis to address social need
Crowdsourced science
Complex problem, wisdom & power of crowd to create, analyse,
collect big datasets – mainly research benefits
DIYBIO Individuals often part of a network of hobbyists, hackers with an open
source ethos to labs, equipment, methods – DIY culture
Variations:
Citizen Science with co-design & crowdsourcing elements;
Art-science ‘experiences’ – explore scientific concepts & open up the practice of science to
culture
17. “If we work together in the garden,
maybe we can work together in crisis…. Dig In!”
Wendy Brawer
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22. Challenges & Opportunities
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Ethics
Data quality assurance
Additional resource - funding
Recognition of public contributions
Measuring impact – did we make a difference
to people’s lives?
• Open science: democratising science & access
to science, data & journals
http://www.everyoneandeverything.wordpress.com
23. Research Method with social value
Citizen Science
• As an instrument for social impact…. & social change
• Collective intelligence
Benefits & Impact
• Quality of Life
• Improved decision making
• Enhancing curriculum content & informal learning
• Enhanced research advocacy
24. Resources
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Centre for Social Justice, Durham Ethical Guidance:
http://www.dur.ac.uk/beacon/socialjustice/ethics_consultation/
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Literature & History of Citizen Science:
http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Citizen_science
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Citizen Cyberlab portal – tools & projects:
http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Portal:_citizen_science
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Guide to Citizen Science:
http://www.ukeof.org.uk/documents/guide-to-citizen-science.pdf
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How to cite data: http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/how-guides
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Open Science project: http://www.openscience.org
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My slides: http://www.slideshare.net/erinmaochu
25. Opportunities
• New Visions for Citizen Science – live stream
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/new-visions-for-citizen-science
• Cybersummit Feb 2014
http://citizencyberlab.eu/2013/11/summit2014/
• Guide to Citizen Science:
http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/citizenscience
• #Hooked:
http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/citizenscience/hooked
• #CitizenScience (twitter!)
26. References
Cohn, JP (2008) Citizen Science: Can Volunteers Do Real Research
BioScience 58: 192-197.
M. Jordan Raddick , Georgia Bracey , Pamela L. Gay, Chris J. Lintott, Phil Murray, Kevin Schawinski, Alexander S.
Szalay and Jan Vandenberg (2010 ) Galaxy Zoo: Exploring the Motivations of Citizen Science Volunteers AER 9,
010103; http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2009036
Tweddle, J.C., Robinson, L.D., Pocock, M.J.O & Roy, H.E. (2012). Guide to
citizen science: developing, implementing and evaluating citizen science to
study biodiversity and the environment in the UK. Natural History Museum
and NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology for UK-EOF. www.ukeof.org.uk
Frietag, A, Pfeffer, M.J. (2013) Process, not product: Investigating
Recommendations for improving Citizen Science "Success". PLoS ONE 8(5):
e64079. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0064079
Prestoneck & Crowston (2011) Exploring collective intelligence games with design: a citizen science case:
http://crowston.syr.edu/node/430
Whittle JW, Ochu E, Ferrario MA, Southern J and McNally R (2012) 2012 Beyond research in the wild: citizen-led research as a model
for innovation in the digital economy: Proceeding Digital Futures 2012, Aberdeen
http://www.de2012.org/sites/default/files/digitalfutures2012papers/Papers/Session1BTalesofEngagement/Whittle_etal_BeyondRi
tW.pdf
Add images of games, experiments, mobile etc from the poster
Complex problem benefits from power & wisdom of the crowd to solve it collectively
Contributes to neuroscience research & players have fun
Eyewire – play a game to map the brain
Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging – Help Neuroscience research while playing fun games on your smart phone
22,000 users and 100,000 datasets
@citizenbrains
albinomosquito
Additional partners that put on events, spread the word and supported the project. Key to the social media strategy was the partnership with BBC Outreach… who helped us with the crowdsourcing campaign, and Manchester Museum whose volunteers helped us figure out how to make the data collection resources.
Turing’s sunflowers led onto a project that was all about use mapping and creating data to find places to grow food.
Enter Kirstin from the Kindling Trust. The Kindling Trust are an NGO that support Greater Manchester to become more sustainable in terms of production and activism to achieve change and helping a city to feed itself
The Kindling Trust have mapped local, seasonal and organic food network around manchester – imagining that in the light of climate change and growing food prices, we need to know where we can source food without ruining the planet.
Kirstin had heard about this New York project– 596 acres – which went out and mapped empty lots – usually between buildings – that allows people who want to grow food to find people nearby who want to do the same. Then people are encouraged to get together and make it happen. Getting rid of the rats, bringing in soil, and applying for funding to equip the garden.
At the same time, in Sheffield – Danny at Grow Sheffield had been wondering the same question – and their members of the Grow Sheffield food network had also been mapping out local, seasonal and organic.
Participants walked around Old Trafford in Manchester, taking photos and recording vital statistics, such as aspect, water supply, security, and surface materials, for any site they thought could be used for food growing,. Sites identified included ginnels, grassed over areas, derelict plots and unloved nooks ad crannies.
To map growing spaces in Old Trafford, we used crowdmap – an open source platform by Ushahidi – often used for mapping crisis around the world. In Old Trafford, 26 people found 82 sites over 2 walks where food could be grown in land totalling around 5.2 acres. That’s a lot of space for a lot of vegetables and potentially quite a few jobs could be created to farm the land.
One of the things that Farida wondered as a research was what synergy there might be between the open data community and the grow your own community – both have this perspective of a commons – shared land, shared resources –
In Sheffield.. They used google map – here’s the map of their walk…
Danny came to Manchester last workshop and planned out his walk on google maps – his approach was slightly different…. He started with places that he knew and was also looking out for food that they might forage… people that might be nearby that could help…
And the end of the workshop, we’d made friends, we’d mapped but the next bit, community gardens, and negotiating with the council, seemed a long way off… we needed inspiration
So one of the most powerful things for me in envisaging this shared goal around growing urban food and using mapping as a lo-tech way to achieve that – we used pens, paper maps, cooking and talking…
Ordinary citizens, doing extraordinary things not waiting for the people in power tell us no.
The partners on Everyday Growing Cultures
Hooked video
Silent disco
Putting on the Hooked Show – Rastamouse worked with MOSI presenters to engage younger audiences