Citizen Science Research Articles

What's in it for citizen scientists? An analysis of participant's gains from a democratisation perspective.

Citizen science projects optimise the democratisation of the production of scientific knowledge. In these initiatives, research processes do not rely solely on scientists' but on citizens' engagement likewise with benefits on both sides. As previous work shows, the democratisation perspective of citizen science projects might be viewed critically as some groups of citizens tend to be overrepresented in these initiatives while other are left out. This paper explores the claim of democratisation and the citizens' benefits based on four citizen science projects in the fields of astrophysics and particle physics on the citizen science platform Zooniverse. Besides a general engagement strategy, the citizen science projects addressed two groups specifically, the elderly and people with visual impairments. The claim for democratisation is reflected in the analysis of citizens' demographic variables as an indicator for accessibility of the research projects. We used a pre-post design with questionnaires on science attitudes, motivations, skills, self-efficacy, and knowledge to assess what citizen scientists gained from participating in the project. The demographic analysis of the data reveals that participants were quite heterogeneous and that people who feel that they belong to a group that is discriminated against are particularly motivated to participate in citizen science projects. In terms of benefits, the results indicate knowledge and scientific skills gains, but no changes on other evaluative dimensions. Their attitude towards science was, in general, already rather positive when joining the projects, thus not leaving much room for change. These results confirm the importance of and call for a diversified citizen science engagement strategy and show that even in citizen science projects where the citizens' task is limited to classifying data lead to scientific knowledge and skills gains.

Building Biodiversity Digital Twins

A digital twin is a replica of a system, process, or object realized as a digital version. Digital twins are widespread in engineering and aim to can help many kinds of organizations simulate real situations and their outcomes, ultimately allowing them to make better decisions. Digital twins combine cutting-edge modelling approaches with powers of supercomputers with data streams. These data resources, coming through the research infrastructures, depend on data standardization, efficient data models and workflows, and on FAIRness (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, Reusability) of these elements. Digital twin concepts have been applied to biodiversity data since 2022, most notably through the Biodiversity Digital Twin project. The outcomes of dynamic modeling based on the biodiversity data (which availability changes in volumes and quality) against the globally available changing environmental and human impact data are expected to form the basis for management of natural resources and aims to support biodiversity recovery. The BioDT consortium brings together a dynamic team of experts in biodiversity data and standards, high performance computing, and FAIR data to realize the first set of biodiversity Digital Twin prototypes. Biodiversity evidence generated, standardized and shared from collections, systematic and long term surveys, eDNA and metabaroding, citizen science and other communities representing a range of biodiversity evidence types, can to be applied in the dynamic and interactive modelling solutions, known as digital tiwins. The Biodiversity Digital Twin project (and the twin approach in general) offers advanced simulation and prediction models to tackle global biodiversity challenges. This project is designed to address biodiversity dynamics through a set of use cases, providing insights and tools for conservation and restoration efforts. The BioDT project has revealed similarities and differences of applying Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) thinking and principles of data standardization to the communities with different levels of familiarity with standards and FAIR principles. The presentation at SPNCH-TDWG 2024 covered the process of building biodiversity digital twins by the second project year and exposed the work along the gradient of data intensity, of data FAIRness, and of complience to the international data standards. The details of ten BioDT project stories are covered in the special issue of the Pensoft RIO journal on BioDT project (Afsar et al. 2024, Chala et al. 2024, Frøslev et al. 2024, Ingenloff et al. 2024, Groeneveld et al. 2024, Khan et al. 2024, Mikryukov et al. 2024, Ovaskainen et al. 2024, Rolph et al. 2024, Taubert et al. 2024).

Assessing the quality of citizen science in archaeological remote sensing: results from the Heritage Quest project in the Netherlands

Volunteers are a key part of the archaeological labour force and, with the growth of digital datasets, these citizen scientists represent a vast pool of interpretive potential; yet, concerns remain about the quality and reliability of crowd-sourced data. This article evaluates the classification of prehistoric barrows on lidar images of the central Netherlands by thousands of volunteers on the Heritage Quest project. In analysing inter-user agreement and assessing results against fieldwork at 380 locations, the authors show that the probability of an accurate barrow identification is related to volunteer consensus in image classifications. Even messy data can lead to the discovery of many previously undetected prehistoric burial mounds.

The Eczema Bathing Study: Weekly versus daily bathing for people with eczema? Protocol of an online, randomised controlled trial

Background A priority setting partnership for eczema (syn atopic eczema, atopic dermatitis) has identified that bathing frequency is a key area of patient interest. However, there are nolarge, high-quality randomised controlled trials (RCTs) investigating this. The Rapid Eczema Trials project is a novel programme of research that aims to deliver multiple online RCTs, using a citizen science approach. This project involves working with members of the public to co-design and conduct studies that answer questions of importance to them. The first trial to be conducted through this project is assessing the impact of bathing frequency on eczema. Methods This is an online, two-arm, parallel-group superiority RCT with internal pilot phase. People aged ≥1 year with eczemaliving in the United Kingdom are eligible. Exclusion criteria are: people with other types of eczema such as venous eczema, hand eczema and contact eczema; recently started a new eczema treatment; taking part in another eczema trial; Patient Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) ≤2; planning to swim more than twice a week; unable/unwilling to change bathing practices. Participants are allocated 1:1 to either the weekly bathing group (bathe 1 or 2 times a week) or the daily bathing group (bathe 6 or more times a week) for 4 weeks. The primary outcome is POEM, assessed weekly over 4 weeks. Secondary outcomes include skin specific quality of life, eczema control, itch severity, use of usual eczema treatments, proportion who achieve an improvement in POEM of ≥3 points, global change in eczema and safety outcomes. A sample of participants will also be invited to a semi-structured interview to discuss their experience. The primary comparative analysis will be according to randomised allocation regardless of actual frequency of bathing. The trial will be reported in accordance with CONSORT guidelines. The study has received ethical approval by the London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee (2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ, United Kingdom) on 11/10/2023 ( approval number: 23/PR/0899). Trial registration ISRCTN12016473, 22/11/2023, https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN12016473

A new genus and species of Peleopodidae Hodges, 1974 (Insecta: Lepidoptera) from South-East Asia

Paraxenoacria gen. nov., a new genus belonging to the family Peleopodidae is described to accommodate a new species Paraxenoacria spinosa sp. nov. from Bangladesh. This genus is peculiar and clearly distinct from the other genera of this family and others of the related families on the basis of external morphology as well as genitalia features of males such as having downwardly curved digitiform projections in the tegumen and distinct shape of the valva. Additionally, analysis of observations from different citizen science platforms reveals that this newly described genus is distributed throughout South-East Asia up to Malaysia. The biological aspects of this new species are also provided. The genus is tentatively being placed within the subfamily Acriinae due to its close resemblance to the genus Acria Stephens, 1834 pending further comprehensive taxonomic study.

Designing Games for GDPR: Negotiating Understandings of GDPR in EU Schools

In this study we combine a participatory design process with a citizen science framing, to foster a dialogue on GDPR in the school. We focus on the perspective of students, approaching them as co-researchers, in designing and evaluating a series of apps, aimed at spreading knowledge on GDPR. We have created a design space between secondary school students in Denmark and Italy, to gather insights across different countries. Results show that approaching students as designers and testers enabled them to provide honest and concrete insights on their experience with GDPR. We identified a detachment related to their posting activities, caused by how social media platforms (SoMe) challenge the boundaries between their personal and school-related ecologies.

Rediscovery and future approaches to conservation of the elusive giant salmon carp Aaptosyax grypus, a Critically Endangered megafish in the Mekong

The Critically Endangered giant salmon carp (Aaptosyax grypus) is an endemic mega fish from the Mekong River basin. It had not been recorded in the wild since 2005, and was considered as possibly extinct. Here, we report the capture of three new specimens between 2020 and 2023. Those recent observations indicate that the species persists, and that one or more populations of A. grypus inhabit the Cambodian Mekong and its tributaries. Though the rarity of A. grypus makes it difficult to set specific conservation actions, we suggest building on the recent development of environmental DNA techniques and citizen science to investigate A. grypus geographic range and habitats as a first step before initiating actions to conserve its habitats. Given the emblematic species status of A. grypus, its conservation could have an umbrella effect contributing more broadly to the conservation of the globally significant freshwater biodiversity in the Mekong Basin ecosystem.

From greatest simplicity to full power

AbstractWhile language processing services are key assets for the science and technology of language, the possible ways under which they may be made available to the widest range of their end users are critical to support an Open Science policy for this scientific domain. Although providing such processing services under some web-based interface, at large, offers itself as an immediate and cogent response to that challenge, turning this view into an effective access to language processing services is an undertaking deserving a clear conceptual direction and a corresponding robust empirical validation. Based on an extensive overview of major undertakings towards making language processing tools available and on the design principles worked out and implemented in the PORTULAN CLARIN infrastructure, in this paper we advocate for a Research-Infrastructure-as-a-Service (RIaaS) model. This model unleashes accessibility to language processing services in as many web-based interface modalities as the current stage of technological development permits to support, in order to serve as many types of end users as possible, from IT developers to Digital Humanities researchers, and including citizen scientists, teachers, students and digital artists among many others.

The Effects of Spatial Structure and Development Intensity of the Urban Landscape on Bird Biodiversity in Anhui Province

Exploring the factors that drive changes in biodiversity is a hot and critically important topic in landscape ecology and biogeography. In this study, semi-structured citizen science data and bird distribution maps were employed to gather data from 2015 to 2020 for the calculation of bird species richness, the Shannon index, and the Pielou index in Anhui Province. These metrics were utilized to assess avian biodiversity and to elucidate the spatial patterns of biodiversity distribution across the region. In this research, a structural equation model (SEM) was utilized to investigate the relationships between the three dimensions of landscape spatial structure, urban development intensity, and environmental factors on bird biodiversity, and a conceptual framework was established to identify the key driving factors. The validity, reliability, and fit of the hypothesized model were substantiated through rigorous testing, demonstrating its reasonableness. The results indicate the following: (1) In landscape spatial structure, landscape composition and configuration play crucial roles in influencing bird diversity. An increased proportion of cultivated land negatively impacts bird diversity, whereas the expansion of forested areas promotes it. At the configuration level, the Largest Patch Index (LPI) significantly enhances bird diversity, serving as the primary driving force. Landscape spatial structure affects bird diversity both directly, through its composition, and indirectly, through its configuration. (2) The dimension of urban development intensity generally shows significant negative impacts; among these, GDP has the greatest comprehensive impact and shows a significant negative impact. (3) Topography has the greatest overall impact on bird diversity among the environmental factors, with a predominantly direct positive effect. (4) Overall, urban landscape spatial structure and urban development intensity are the main driving forces of bird diversity in Anhui Province, the greatest of which is the direct effect of the urban development intensity. These results provide an important scientific basis for landscape planning and ecological protection and provide inspiration for assessing the driving factors of animal and plant diversity in other regions.

Pinpointing sources of pollution using citizen science and hyperlocal low-cost mobile source apportionment

Currently, methodologies for the identification and apportionment of air pollution sources are not widely applied due to their high cost. We present a new approach, combining mobile measurements from multiple sensors collected from the daily walks of citizen scientists, in a high population density area of Birmingham, UK. The methodology successfully pinpoints the different sources affecting the local air quality in the area using only a handful of measurements. It was found that regional sources of pollution were mostly responsible for the PM2.5 and PM1 concentrations. In contrast, PM10 was mostly associated with local sources. The total particle number and the lung deposited surface area of PM were almost solely associated with traffic, while black carbon was associated with both the sources from the urban background and local traffic. Our analysis showed that while the effect of the hyperlocal sources, such as emissions from construction works or traffic, do not exceed the distance of a couple of hundred meters, they can influence the health of thousands of people in densely populated areas. Thus, using this novel approach we illustrate the limitations of the present measurement network paradigm and offer an alternative and versatile approach to understanding the hyperlocal factors that affect urban air quality. Mobile monitoring by citizen scientists is shown to have huge potential to enhance spatiotemporal resolution of air quality data without the need of extensive and expensive campaigns.

Data fusion for enhancing urban air quality modeling using large-scale citizen science data

Rapid urbanization has led to many environmental issues, including poor air quality. With urbanization set to continue, there is an urgent need to mitigate air pollution and minimize its adverse health impacts. This study aims to advance urban air quality modelling by integrating a dispersion model output with large-scale citizen science data, collected over a 4-week period by 642 participants in Cork City, Ireland. The dispersion model enabled the identification of major sources of NO2 air pollution while also addressing gaps in regulatory monitoring efforts. Integrating the diffusion tube data with the dispersion model output, we developed a data fusion model that captured localized fluctuations in air quality, with increases of up to 22μg/m3 observed at major road intersections. The data fusion model provided a more accurate representation of NO2 concentrations, with estimates within 1.3μg/m3 of the regulatory monitoring measurement at an urban traffic location, an improvement of 11.7μg/m3 from the baseline dispersion model. This enhanced accuracy enabled a more precise assessment of the population exposure to air pollution. The data fusion model showed a higher population exposure to NO2 compared to the dispersion model, providing valuable insights that can inform environmental health policies aimed at safeguarding public health.

A Reference Database of Reptile Images

While there are millions of reptile images available online, they are not well organized and not easily findable, accessible, interoperable, or reproducible (FAIR). More importantly, they are not standardized and thus hardly comparable. Here we present a reference database of more than 14,000 standardized images of 1045 reptile species (969 lizard and 76 snake species) that are based on preserved specimens in 20 different collections, including 533 type species of genera and type specimens of 72 species. All images were taken with standardized views, including dorsal and ventral body shots as well as dorsal, ventral, and lateral views of the heads and other body parts. Although only 11 out of the 20 collections are cross-referenced in VertNet, some others are indexed in GBIF, and this fraction will certainly grow in the near future. The utility of this and similar image collections will further grow with additional material and further cross-referencing, e.g., to DNA sequence databases or citizen science projects. The images are searchable and freely available on Morphobank (Project 5121) and on Figshare.

Občanska znanost v splošnih knjižnicah

This paper summarises reflections on citizen science and the role of public libraries as focal points for citizen science. Citizen science has evolved beyond traditional research institutions. Public libraries are often referred to as the cultural and information centre of the local community. They promote equality in their communities through their policy of openness to all. Their role in the local community makes them a logical choice to become the centre of citizen science in their community.Based on a review of the foreign literature on citizen science and libraries as actors in citizen science, this paper presents different ways in which citizen science projects can be integrated into the framework of existing activities of public libraries. We have examined the ways in which citizen science is already present in public libraries and we have identified ways in which its presence can be further enhanced through the introduction of new services related to citizen science.

Mreža občanske znanosti v Sloveniji

Citizen science is a concept of scientific research that promotes an open dialogue between the scientific community and the broader public and thus also guides social development. In Slovenia, this concept has developed considerably over the past year, in particular through the establishment of the specialised portal citizenscience.si and the Citizen Science Network. The European Union has also contributed to the promotion and visibility of citizen science mainly by funding. Along with other organizations as museums and societies, and individuals, universities and research institutes also make an important contribution to citizen science, not only by expanding and strengthening research activities through public engagement, but also by improving their social reputation and strengthening trust in science. In Slovenia, public participation in science has a long tradition, which went under various names until the term "občanska znanost" was established as the most appropriate translation. Since 2017, the Central Technical Library of the University of Ljubljana (CTK) has been involved in the promotion and development of citizen science in Slovenia, first by organising the expert meetings and later by directly supporting a citizen science project. They work with other organisations to organise events to promote collaboration between researchers and libraries and the general public, and is active in international organisations. The content of the citizenscience.si portal and an analysis of the published projects are presented in detail.

Identifying macrofloating debris hotspots in the Mediterranean Sea applying multiplatform methodologies

The Mediterranean Sea is considered the world's sixth greatest hotspot for marine litter; however, quantifying the extent of marine debris in the oceans is a challenge, especially due to variations in survey methodologies. This study aims to assess the spatial abundance and distribution of macrofloating debris (> 2.5 cm) in the Mediterranean basin through visual surveys carried out by methods (research vessel, sailing vessel, and aerial) and approaches (science and citizen science). Aerial and research vessel surveys estimated litter at 1.88 ± 2.3 items·km−2 and 0.89 ± 1.61 items·km−2 respectively for the whole Mediterranean; moreover both methods agreed that the main macrofloating debris hotspots were in the east of Algeria, Tyrrhenian, Adriatic and Alboran Seas. Likewise, for the common blocks analysed aerial surveys estimated greater amounts of macrofloating debris than research vessels (mean 1.92 ± 2.61 items·km−2 vs. 0.94 ± 1.69 items·km−2) highlighting the different detection capacities of the two methods. In the Spanish Mediterranean continental shelf, results obtained from research vessels showed mean values of 8.6 ± 7.8 items·km−2 for 2021 and 3.86 ± 3.96 items·km−2 for 2022. Sailing vessels along the Spanish coastline registered up to 70.87 ± 257.23 items·km−2 in waters of the Cabrera Island, which is a Marine Protected Area. No significant differences between citizen science and scientific methods were found, which suggests that the implementation of this tool could be very useful in obtaining greater datasets. Results on the abundance of macrofloating debris could be attributed to various factors, including the influence of mighty rivers, a dense population in these areas, especially during some seasons like summer, and the effect of some currents and eddies, such as the Algerian and the northern currents, which also influence the transboundary plastics.

Citizen science as a valuable tool for environmental review

Citizen science as a valuable tool for environmental review

Do look up: building a comprehensive view of population dynamics from small scale observation through citizen science

Do look up: building a comprehensive view of population dynamics from small scale observation through citizen science

Understanding Ixodes ricinus occurrence in private yards: influence of yard and landscape features

BackgroundLyme borreliosis is the most frequent zoonotic disease in the northern hemisphere and is transmitted by ticks of the genus Ixodes. Although many people are bitten by ticks in private yards, our understanding of the factors associated with their presence in these areas remains limited. To address this gap, we used a citizen science approach to identify the local and landscape features associated with tick presence in yards.MethodsThis study was conducted near Nancy, a city in northeastern France, from 2020 to 2022. Citizen scientists collected ticks in their yard on a single event (n = 185) and measured 13 yard features. Additionally, we computed 11 features related to the landscape composition and spatial configuration surrounding these yards. Using generalized linear mixed models, we determined the yard and landscape features associated with the presence of ticks and nymphal Ixodes ricinus (hereafter nymphs), the life stage, and species that mostly bite humans.ResultsDespite a low density, ticks were found in 32% of the yards, including yards in urbanized areas. At the transect level, the likelihood of finding a nymph was nearly three times higher in transects shaded by vegetation compared to those in open areas, with no relationship between nymph occurrence and transect location or grass height. At the yard level, the occurrence of ticks and nymphs was related to both yard and landscape characteristics. Nymph and tick occurrence were more than twice as high in yards with signs of deer and a wood/brush pile compared to those without these characteristics, and increased with the connectivity of vegetation areas and the percentage of forest areas in the landscape.ConclusionsOur study reveals that private yards across an urbanization gradient are locations of tick exposure with tick presence linked to both yard and landscape factors. These findings emphasize the importance of public awareness regarding tick exposure in yards and provide crucial insights for future public health prevention campaigns.

Open Science roles for libraries

Purpose: To give a review of the significance of Open Science for libraries in the context of the wider Open movement, with international perspectives and examples from national, academic, and public libraries. Methodology/approach: A qualitative synthesis of recent literature and web materials is presented. Results: Particular consideration is given to the need for open library infrastructures, support for Citizen Science, Open Science communication, and libraries as demonstrators of open technologies. It is suggested that libraries are well placed to support and promote the Open movement, but that practical issues of policy and resources, as well as philosophical aspects of Open movement, must be considered. Research limitations: The literature review is selective rather than comprehensive, and most material comes from Europe and North America. Originality/practical implications: The review should help librarians find a realistic appreciation of the opportunities offered by the Open Science movement.

Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni) occurrence and foraging behaviour along the east coast of Australia

ABSTRACT Despite their global occurrence in warm-temperate waters and their suspected non-migratory lifestyle, Bryde’s whales (Balaenoptera edeni spp.) are considered the least-known large baleen whale species. In Australian waters, information on their distribution, ecology and behaviour is scarce. This study documents Bryde’s whale occurrence and foraging behaviours along the Australian East Coast using opportunistic citizen science sightings via drone aerial photography, vessel and land-based observations. We observed foraging in both shallow (seafloor visible, beach and breaking waves present) and deep waters. We observed a range of foraging behaviours including lunge feeding (exhibited by individual whales and in pairs), sub-surface and surface skim feeding (shallow waters only) and described multispecies associations. We describe a potentially novel feeding behaviour in shallow waters, where Bryde’s whales are feeding directly within or behind the surf break (shallow water surf feeding). We quantify the presence of mother-calf pairs in Australian waters, highlighting the use of these waters for potential calving. This study provides insights into Bryde’s whale occurrence and foraging behaviour in both shallow and deep waters of eastern Australia.