Millions of idle computers the world over are put to good use for a number of scientific endeavors, but the use of Citizen Science (CS) goes back a long way in the field of ecological research. Volunteer data has long been used for monitoring populations or for keeping an eye on invasive species. In the age of tight research budgets and the availability of software to easily record and transmit data from the field has led to more and more projects dependent upon this data.
Proper analysis depends upon understanding the data, and one of the challenges in using CS-supplied data is understanding the reliability of the observations. The best consistency in the quality of the data depends upon consistency in setting up the experiment and training the observers, also known as appropriately designing a protocol. There is an active discussion in the ecological research community about how to maximize the reliability and utility of this kind of data. The open-access journal PLOS ONE will host a broad discussion on this topic for the CA community:
To foster discussion of these important issues, PLOS ONE (@plosone) will be moderating a Twitter chat on citizen science methodologies on Thursday 2nd April starting at 4pm BST (8am PDT, 11am EDT, 5pm CET) [1500 GMT]. This is a chance for the CS community to share perspectives, experiences and suggestions for best practice. We'll aim to cover the following questions (and more!):
- How far can methods in CS projects be standardized?
- What steps should be taken to maximize CS data quality?
- Is there a need for clearer guidelines for the design and execution of CS studies?
- How should credit for data collection be apportioned?
You can take part by using the hashtag #citscichat– we hope to see you there!
| Links |
printed from SoylentNews, PLOS ONE Twitter Chat on Citizen Science Methodologies for Ecological Sciences on April 2nd on 2024-05-08 12:29:28