Citizen Science Isn't Enough Science For Citizens. Via GenomeWeb's Daily Scan, some comments on the prospects for citizen science in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Only one of the three appears to be an actual research scientist, but they make good points about the role of citizen science in research.
For example, Clifford A. Lynch, Director, Coalition for Networked information: Both types of contributions can be useful in particular cases. However there is a risk of misunderstanding how science actually works here. In most examples of citizen science I've seen, the citizens are not actually doing the same type of science that is done by a professional researcher who runs a lab, writes grant proposals, and gives conferences. That is: citizens contribute by data collection, or more or less routine data analysis.
Read the feed: What kind of beetle? This app knows. The Project Noah app asks people to upload photos, GPS coordinates and other anecdotal info about wildlife they see. An update to Project Noah app will be launched in December The app also seeks to create personal connections to the natural world Free app features challenges to encourage people to learn about nearby plants and animals (CNN) -- Ever seen a tree and wondered if it was a maple or an oak? Bespectacled scientists of yore would carry around hefty field guides, made up of hundreds of pages of text and photos. But these days, smartphone owners have a lighter option: an app called Project Noah, which aims to help people identify plants and animals as well as collect data from "citizen scientists" about where certain species are located.
The app asks people to upload photos, GPS coordinates and other anecdotal info about wildlife they see. An update to the app, which will be launched in December, gives users digital badges for participating in these endeavors. Project Noah. Citizen Scientist 2.0. What does the future of science look like? About a year ago, I was asked this same question. My response was: Transdisciplinary collaboration. Researchers from a variety of domains—biology, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, economics, law—all coming together, using inputs from each specialized area to generate the best comprehensive solutions to society's more persistent problems. Indeed, it appears as if I was on the right track, as more and more academic research departments, as well as industries, are seeing the value in this type of partnership. Now let's take this even a step further.
Not only do I think we will be relying on inputs from researchers and experts from multiple domains to solve scientific problems, but I see society itself getting involved on a much more significant level as well. With the Open Science Summit coming up in less than a week (I know! The Key Role of Technology Even the government is starting to catch on.
How cool is that?! New Kinds of Outreach. What is Citizen Science? 2014 Arthur Kill Watershed and Raritan-Piedmont Bird Surveys New Jersey Audubon is recruiting volunteer Citizen Scientists for two projects that involve bird and/or invasive plant surveys. We are looking for people with some bird ID skills to conduct bird point counts, and for people to survey invasive plants species. Volunteers can participate in either the bird or the invasive plant survey, or both. We prefer people who can do both surveys concurrently, but if you prefer to do one or the other, you are still welcome to join us! Citizen Scientists are required to attend one training session in April. We will run a combined bird and invasive plant workshop that will include a species identification component and methodology training.
Arthur Kill Watershed Survey 2014 New Jersey Audubon is recruiting Citizen Scientists for a survey of birds and invasive plants in natural areas in the Arthur Kill watershed (parts of Essex, Union, and Middlesex Counties). Raritan-Piedmont Survey 2014. Special Report - Science Nation. Kids Count: Young Citizen-Scientists Learn Environmental Activism. Student researchers become the eyes and ears of environmental scientists. Credit: Xplane Three years ago, while sampling soil invertebrates with staff from the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center, at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, high school students from a nearby Cherokee reservation spotted a tiny purple bug with white antenna that had been eluding scientists for years. The rediscovery of this species of wingless soil insects, known as springtails, delighted researchers. They hadn't seen one since its original discovery in New York in 1951.
During the next few years, scientists returned to the site to look for the elusive critter, only to come up empty handed. Finally, on a cold February morning in 2006, Susan Sachs, the science center's education coordinator, took another group of students from Cherokee High School to look again. When they found a springtail, she wasn't surprised. Clams, Crows, and Critters The number of engaging and worthwhile projects appears endless.
ScienceOnline2012 planning wiki - D2S1c. Citizens, Experts and Science.