Open science practices
This module equips learners to align their citizen science endeavours with the best practices of open science. It begins with an examination of how to integrate open science standards in publication, data management, and public outreach, utilizing the Data Charter for Citizen Science. Learners will explore the benefits of open science across multiple domains, understand the principles of FAIR data, and learn to apply the 5-star open data system to their projects. The module also tackles important considerations of privacy, ethics, data hygiene, and standards. An interactive session brings the module together, where learners will apply their knowledge to manage data, handle volunteer management, and implement effective communication strategies.
2. Public engagement and volunteer management
This module equips learners with strategies for effective community engagement and volunteer coordination in citizen science projects. It covers the volunteer lifecycle—from recruitment to retention—and provides tools and insights for managing volunteer motivations, experiences, and communications. Additionally, this module emphasizes the importance of public outreach, offering guidance on how to communicate and engage with various stakeholders to maximize the impact of citizen science initiatives.
Module description:
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What? |
How? |
Why? |
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Volunteer management |
Introducing the notion of volunteer management and the volunteer literature |
Demonstrating that there is already a lot of knowledge about how to engage with volunteers |
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The volunteer’s journey |
The stages of volunteer’s journey and ways to maximise volunteers’ experience |
Demonstrating that the volunteer experience has many stages with different concerns |
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The motivations of volunteers |
Types of motivations; demography and attributes of volunteers; recruitment techniques or awareness of opportunities |
Enabling learners to describe their (potential) volunteers and plan the recruitment process |
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Checklist for project organisers and managers |
Key recommendations for project organisers based on the volunteer’s journey |
Enabling learners to use the checklist for project organisers |
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Volunteer management |
Best practices for onboarding, communication, retention, and acknowledgment |
Enabling learners to plan ahead for retention and sustained participation |
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Communication and public outreach |
Issues and tools for communication and public outreach in relation to citizen science projects |
Encouraging learners to design and initiate outreach activities in relation to their project (before, during, after) |
Slide (available in slide deck)
