Citizen Science Research Design and Methods
Citizen Science Research Design and Methods introduces learners to various citizen science methodologies and
helps them determine the right fit for their research projects. The module
covers examples from data collection initiatives like eBird to data processing
platforms like Galaxy Zoo, demonstrating citizen science’s versatility. It
includes a decision framework to aid researchers in assessing whether citizen
science suits their project goals, considering the motivations and
participation levels of potential volunteers. An interactive component enables
learners to apply this framework to their ideas, fostering a deep
understanding of citizen science integration into research. The module
culminates with reflections on these insights, solidifying the learners'
capacity to implement citizen science methodologies effectively.
2. Assessing the suitability of citizen science for your research
This module guides participants through a decision-making
process to assess the suitability of CS methods for their research project or
ideas. It includes stakeholder analysis and understanding volunteer motivations
to ensure a well-aligned approach to project design and execution. The module
also introduces a structured decision framework that assists participants in
making informed choices about incorporating citizen science methodologies into
their projects.
Module description:
|
What? |
How? |
Why? |
|
Reasons for choosing CS as research methodology |
Going over reasons for choosing (and not choosing) CS as a research methodology |
Demonstrating that there are many reasons for choosing CS |
|
Defining the aim of the project |
The need for well-defined aim, incl. questions to assist participants in defining their project’s aim |
Assisting participants in defining project aims |
|
Stakeholder analysis |
The motivation for doing a stakeholder analysis |
Enabling participants to perform a stakeholder analysis taking into account the timing of the project |
|
Ladder of participation |
Defining the ladder of participation for both volunteers and researchers |
Encouraging participants to think about different level of participation and why it’s important for both volunteer and researchers |
|
The examples of Asteroid Zoo and Supernova Hunters |
What Supernova Hunters did to regularly enhance the number of classifications |
Enabling participants to design project based on understanding of volunteers’ motivation |
|
Volunteer motivations |
Different types of motivation for different types of CS projects |
Giving participants insight into project characteristics and the different kinds of motivation that drive volunteers |
|
Choosing and using CS |
Presenting a decision framework for determining whether CS is a suited methodology or not |
Enabling participants to use the decision framework |
Slide (available in slide deck)
