Enduring tensions between scientific outputs and science learning in citizen science

Abstract

Citizen science has been lauded for its promise and potential to simultaneously advance both the scientific enterprise as well as science education. Oftentimes, however, citizen science projects struggle to balance these dual goals and negotiate the tensions that arise between them. Many of these enduring tensions center on the tradeoffs involved between producing high quality data while also maintaining engaging learning experiences for volunteers. In this article, we present a case study of how a community-based organization navigated these tensions in the context of a multi-stakeholder, collaborative monitoring program that featured citizen science as part of a broader watershed restoration effort. Specifically, we describe how project organizers responded to tensions in their citizen science initiative by creating a tiered system for volunteer participation. This system aimed to produce high-quality data to inform watershed management as well as a suite of science learning opportunities for volunteers in ways aligned with their respective interests and goals. Ultimately, we suggest that such a system can support multiple pathways for building healthy and resilient social-ecological systems by potentially broadening the knowledge sources and perspectives from which conservation decisions are made.