Learn how citizen science is contributing to major scientific discoveries and research. In this information era, as technology continues to advance, and knowledge dispersion is at its peak, there is a growing phenomenon in virtually all the countries of the world known as “Citizen Science”. This has facilitated the partnership between common man and the professional scientists, which was previously not available, and has made it possible to obtain enormous amounts of data and extend the scientific research into areas that would be almost impossible otherwise. They are not only the people who are being empowered due to being a part of the system but also add great value to the scientific pursuit.
In this article, a detailed analysis the citizen sciences will be conducted with a major focus on what is citizen science, its evolution, uses and significance in different spheres. Some practical examples will be provided including how citizens can participate in the research.
What is Citizen Science?
Citizen science encompasses the participation of those who do not hold scientific qualifications, or are generally known as laymen, in any discovery processes. It is a type of crowd and task which gives the masses the responsibility of collating data, processing the same and interpreting it with supported assistance from scientists. They do the kinds of work that require a lot of people and data, such as surveillance of animals, evaluation of a comet, or environmental evaluation.
Citizen science is a versatile activity that includes the following examples:
Data Collection: Insects and other volunteers go out into the field to collect specific information such as biodiversity, air quality, or meteograms.
Data Analysis: Others who join in on a project may volunteer to operate in processes or analysis of big data, for instance realizing astronomical visuals with galaxies or performing classifications on scientific studies’ data.
Crowdsourcing Ideas: Citizens can put forward some working ideas for studies or help out in the studies with hypothetical questions.
History of Citizen Science
Citizen science is a practice that is old as civilization itself. For many years, science was in most cases carried out by freelancers which involved no formal training contributing a lot in the fields such as astronomy, natural history and archaeology. The structurization of science that began in the 19th and 20th centuries led to a separation of professional scientists and appendant ones. In the last few decades, the emergence of the World Wide Web and other novel technologies facilitated this boundary once again.
Historical Milestones in Citizen Science
| Year | Event | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 19th Century | Amateur birdwatchers contribute to ornithology | Set a precedent for long-term wildlife studies |
| 1900 | First Christmas Bird Count organized by the Audubon Society | Still one of the longest-running citizen science projects |
| 2007 | Launch of Zooniverse, a citizen science platform | Engaged millions of people in online research projects |
| 2020 | Global citizen scientists assist in COVID-19 tracking | Demonstrates the critical role of citizens in public health research |
How Citizen Science Contributes to Research
Thus, conclusions can be drawn that can seek help through citizen science. Some of the most prominent advantages include:
Data from the World: Much scientific research invites a lot of data, and it is practically difficult for any individual researchers to collect this data all.
Cheap Research: Useful scientific solutions are offered by citizen science at a rather cheap price.
Engagement and Education: Getting people involved in research helps scientists and educates the population about science.
Invention and Creativity: New ideas and ways to do things will be presented by those people who do not work for the research project.
Bringing Ideas to Life: Examples of Citizen Science
With the growth of the Internet, the citizen science paradigm has migrated into a vast array of subjects, covering environmental issues, public health, astronomy, and archeology. Here are a few examples of successful citizen science projects:
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC): Carrying out these surveys since the Audubon Society was formed, the CBC has become one of the earliest recorded examples of citizen science in existence today, helping to understand distributions of bird populations.
Zooniverse: A web-based platform that hosts many citizen science projects in the areas of astronomy, biology, climate science, etc.
Foldit: A game played online by citizens aimed at facilitating diseases and drug process by basing on protein folding studies through the assistance of ranged scientific work.
Globe at Night: A project that assesses the levels of light pollution in relation to visibility of the stars within the region.
Challenges of Citizen Science
The concept of citizen science is very attractive and beneficial in many ways, but it also has its challenges. These include:
Data Accuracy: Achieving data accuracy is often a challenge especially when lay people are incorporated.
Participant Engagement: It may be easy to acquire participants but maintaining them over a lengthy period of time is often a challenge.
Resource Limitations: Controlling and balancing resources in relation to project management and analyzing data is quite difficult.
The Future of Citizen Science
This field will become even more popular as technology advances, and the research primary role of ordinary people in data collection will greatly increase. Mobile applications and devices, as well as artificial intelligence, facilitate public engagement with scientific endeavors as well as the analysis of data.
Citizen Science in Public Health: Public health is another area that has also benefited from the use of citizen science, and this has been clearly demonstrated during the COVID-19 outbreak. For instance, objectives such as Flu Near You and COVID Symptom Tracker show how common citizens can become effective against the epidemic outbreaks.
Public Health Projects
| Project | Focus | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Flu Near You | Tracking flu symptoms across the US | Improved flu forecasting |
| COVID Symptom Tracker | Gathering data on COVID-19 symptoms | Helped identify common and uncommon symptoms |
| Mosquito Habitat Mapper | Identifying mosquito breeding grounds | Aided in disease prevention efforts |
Engagement in Citizen Science Activities
If you are considering engaging in some scientific change, there is much that you can participate in easily. Zooniverse and SciStarter boast of numerous citizen science ventures and welcome you as a volunteer. Start with the following basic steps.
- Look for suitable resources.
- Get familiar with resources needed for the project.
- Invest time even if it is 5 minutes a day, consistently.
- Read the latest developments on citizen science and interact with the community working on the project.
Citizen science is crucial in pushing scientific knowledge, encouraging citizen participation, increasing collaboration between scientists and the public. People’s engagement in citizen science projects enable them in making a few discoveries whichever the area of study. It is expected that given the right tools there will be an expanded scope of citizen science execution. It does not matter whether you want to help in tracking the nests of birds, combat climate change or, go to outer space. There is so much one can do to serve science and the society in general.
FAQs
What is citizen science? Meaning, Definition, and Usage
This is where normal people take an active role in carrying out scientific research. Volunteers do not do any of the scientific work themselves. Instead, they collect, analyze, and in some cases publish scientific data to support professional scientists’ work.
In what ways can I engage in citizen science?
There are options to join citizen science projects through websites such as Zooniverse and SciStarter. Projects are available in such fields as environmental monitoring, medical studies, or astronomy.
Is it true that citizen science has some real benefits?
Yes! Many discoveries as well as the collection of important data became possible largely due to the actions of the ordinary citizens who engaged in this type of scientific work.
Am I required to have a degree in a relevant field?
No, most of the citizen science projects do not require specific areas of expertise for willing participants. There is training and instruction for everyone.
Since when have there been active citizen science projects?
Some of these are the Christmas Bird Count, Zooniverse and Foldit, among others.