Volunteer Efforts Research Articles

PACMHCI, V9, N1, January 2025 Editorial

It is our great pleasure to introduce this issue of the Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, which focuses on contributions from the research community on Supporting Group Work (GROUP). This thriving community is home to researchers within CSCW, HCI for practice-centered computing, sociotechnical studies, and interdisciplinary groups who provide theoretical, methodological, and/or conceptual contributions on collaborative technologies and practices. GROUP's research community vividly raises the awareness of dimensions of growing importance in our highly connected lives. The idea of caring through and with technology continues to be a rich and dynamic area for research, pointing to important challenges for elderly persons, parenting, and health. The increased availability of AI-based systems leads to the development of new practices that pose increasing issues for design and regulation. The domain of social media is especially concerned with fast-evolving practices and issues that raised major interest in our community. These aspects are also approached through design fiction as a way of futures-making. Workplace and hybrid work settings show also a central area where cooperation and teams are impacted. The research papers gathered in this issue account that we live in an unprecedentedly connected world, calling for more ethical reflections about the possibilities and caveats of digital technologies. The editorial board worked hard to organize this second submission round. The call for papers for this issue on GROUP attracted a total of 109 submissions from all over the world, of which 37 papers (34%) were accepted. This issue results from the dedicated volunteer effort of 36 members of the community who served as Associate Chairs (ACs) and 87 reviewers. They all lent their expertise and time to ensure high quality reviews and provide insightful feedback to all authors. The Editorial Board can be found on GROUP's track page. As Track Chairs, we are grateful for the community's collective efforts to continue shaping and sharing GROUP's contributions.

Volunteering in Disaster Management for Development in Africa: Reflections from Bukoba District, Tanzania

Volunteering is an old phenomenon; but it never gets obsolete. It plays a pivotal role in disaster management and development, particularly in resource-constrained settings. This article explores the critical contributions of community volunteers during the 2016 earthquake in Bukoba, Tanzania; highlighting their agency in handling the crisis. Drawing on the social construction of reality theory, this article examines how volunteers externalize their intentions, objectify their roles, and internalize their experiences to create a resilient community response that fills institutional gaps. The paper draws from a qualitative study that applied key informant interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, and documentary review to unearth the lived experiences of earthquake survivors’ interaction with community volunteers. Findings reveal that volunteers provided immediate rescue and medical assistance; including quick excavation and transfer of casualties to health facilities, navigated bureaucratic challenges, and fostered community resilience and economic recovery. The article underscores the need for integrating volunteer efforts into formal disaster management frameworks to enhance effectiveness and sustainability, especially in disaster-prone settings and poor neighbourhoods. The article concludes that by recognizing the diverse contributions of volunteers, both formal institutions and community initiatives can better address disaster risks and promote development outcomes.

2024 Medical Communication Compensation Report Executive Summary

As the leading professional association for medical communicators, the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) has conducted periodic compensation surveys to benchmark salaries and income for employee and freelance medical communicators for the past 35 years. AMWA’s 2024 compensation survey, conducted by Association Research, Inc. (ARI), collected data from over 1,000 medical communication professionals reporting on the tax year ending December 2023. AMWA is grateful to every medical writer, editor, and communicator who took the time to complete the survey. Your input is the foundation of the AMWA 2024 Medical Communication Compensation Report, recognized as one of the most reliable sources of income data, specifically for medical writers and editors across employment settings. Leading this year’s work was AMWA’s Deputy Director, Shari Rager, MS, CAE, who collaborated closely with ARI and a volunteer review team including Gail Flores, PhD; Leena Knight, PhD; Stephen Palmer, PhD, ELS; Joanne Rosenberg, MS, ELS; Cynthia Saver, MS, RN; Linda Yih; and Kim Korwek, PhD (Board Liaison). Member support through survey participation and volunteer effort allows AMWA to create valuable resources for the field of medical communication. The following is the Executive Summary, presented as published, from the 2024 Medical Communication Compensation Report. The full report may be downloaded by AMWA members as a benefit of membership.

Comparing the Pressure on the Carpal Tunnel When Using an Ergonomic Pointer Driver and an Optical Alternative.

Objectives: The objective of this paper is to introduce a method to measure the force or pressure over the carpal tunnel indirectly, using a new device to drive the pointer of a computer system. The measurements were compared with those obtained using an ergonomic mouse. Simultaneously, measurements of muscular stress on the digitorum extensor muscle were performed to correlate the applied force against muscle activity. Methods: An experimental setup was constructed using an infrared static receiver plus two wearable moving light emitters, which can be displaced inside a rectangular projected region. The pointer functions are performed through two finger gestures, while the hand is naturally extended. A microcontroller was used to communicate with the computer, which works as a human interface device and possesses firmware to associate the position of each light source with the pointer functions. Meanwhile, force and electromyography sensing circuits were developed to transmit and measure carpal tunnel strength and muscular stress. The system was tested on five healthy volunteers, who were encouraged to solve the same computational tasks using this new device and a trademark ergonomic mouse. Results: Our results show great differences (greater than one magnitude) between the efforts of the same volunteers performing the same predefined tasks using both pointer controllers. Only when the new device was used did the Pearson's correlation coefficients show a higher correlation between the effort measured on the carpal tunnel and the muscular activity. Conclusions: The optic pointer driver diminishes the strength on the carpal tunnel, causing slightly increased stress on the digitorum extensor muscle.

Sustainable restoration: addressing critical challenges through university‐led projects

The urgency to restore ecosystems amid climate change and biodiversity loss has led to widespread engagement in habitat restoration projects. However, many projects fall short of their goals, highlighting the need for innovation. We use a case study at our university to explore how the integration of habitat restoration into university curricula might address some of the major challenges to long‐term restoration success. We demonstrate how integration with university activities could help address three key challenges in restoration: insufficient planning and monitoring, limited community engagement, and lack of long‐term funding. Our approach demonstrates how involving students and faculty in restoration projects can enhance adaptive management by including these efforts in science curricula, foster community participation through volunteer engagement, and reduce costs through volunteer efforts and collaboration with campus entities. These findings suggest that universities can play a vital role in advancing ecological restoration, benefiting both society and the environment.

Systematic Review on Citizen Science and Artificial Intelligence for Vector-Borne Diseases

Abstract. Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) pose a significant threat to public health globally. VBDs are a significant public health concern worldwide, with infections such as Malaria, Dengue Fever, Zika Virus, and Lyme Disease posing a threat to global health security. There is a need for innovative and effective strategies to control these diseases. One potential solution lies in the integration of citizen science and artificial intelligence technologies. Citizen science, which involves the participation of volunteers in scientific research, can greatly contribute to data collection and monitoring efforts for vector-borne diseases. Artificial intelligence can enhance the analysis of this data, leading to improved disease surveillance, prediction, and control strategies. Citizen Science involves active public participation in scientific research, data collection, and analysis, while AI and Machine Learning (ML) techniques offer powerful tools for processing and interpreting large datasets. By leveraging the power of citizen science and artificial intelligence, we can harness the collective efforts of volunteers and advanced technology to better understand, track, and mitigate the spread of vector-borne diseases. Through the combination of citizen science and artificial intelligence, a more comprehensive and efficient approach can be taken to gather data on vector-borne diseases, analyze the data, and inform public health interventions. This systematic review aims to explore the role of citizen science and artificial intelligence in addressing the challenges associated with vector-borne diseases. It will examine the existing literature on the use of citizen science and artificial intelligence in vector-borne disease research, including their applications, benefits, and limitations, in order to provide insights and recommendations for future research and public health strategies.

Validation of Citizen Science Meteorological Data: Can They Be Considered a Valid Help in Weather Understanding and Community Engagement?

Citizen science has emerged as a potent approach for environmental monitoring, leveraging the collective efforts of volunteers to gather data at unprecedented scales. Within the framework of the I-CHANGE project, MeteoTracker, a citizen science initiative, was employed to collect meteorological measurements. Through MeteoTracker, volunteers contributed to a comprehensive dataset, enabling insights into local weather patterns and trends. This paper presents the analysis and the results of the validation of such observations against the official Italian civil protection in situ weather network, demonstrating the effectiveness of citizen science in generating valuable environmental data. The work discusses the methodology employed, including data collection and statistical analysis techniques, i.e., time-series analysis, spatial and temporal interpolation, and correlation analysis. The overall analysis highlights the high quality and reliability of citizen-generated data as well as the strengths of the MeteoTracker platform. Furthermore, our findings underscore the potential of citizen science to augment traditional monitoring efforts, inform decision-making processes in environmental research and management, and improve the social awareness about environmental and climate issues.

Learning Style Preferences of BSEd- Math Major Students in Mathematics of Investment

Student learning styles should affect assessment and instruction. Adapting the idea that people process information differently should guide our teaching. Much research has focused on learning style variations. Many feel that certain learning styles are better for certain subjects or expertise. This research examines students' learning styles and academic performance in Mathematics of Investment. VAK learning styles preference model correlation with BSEd Math majors' academic achievement. All first-year Visayas State University Bachelor of Secondary Education majors in Mathematics were targeted. The non-random purposive sampling method selected 27 students as respondents. Data was acquired using descriptive-survey research and Cynthia Arem's Learning Style Preference Inventory questionnaire. The Chi-Square Test compared Students' arithmetic grades to their learning styles. Results show that learning style affects student academic performance. Education-style questionnaires can help educators structure learning events in ways that are more popular or familiar to students by revealing respondents' preferences or self- beliefs. Educators should not assume that such attempts would improve student learning except to motivate volunteer effort. Knowing students' preferred learning styles can help educators overcome their tendency to treat all pupils equally and inspire them to use others.

Volunteering and fake volunteering in Ukraine: a new research direction through the prism of informal institutions

This study delves into the emergence of fake voluntarism, a novel form of deception observed in Ukraine following the onset of the Russo-Ukrainian war. The full-scale Russian aggression not only spurred the expansion of the volunteer movement but also fostered the proliferation of spurious volunteerism, primarily motivated by the pursuit of personal gain. We conceptualize these contrasting social practices as informal institutions, diverging in their functions. While traditional volunteering falls into the category of ‘complementary’ informal institutions, following G. Helmke and S. Levitsky's typology, fake volunteering represents ‘competing’ institutions that not only diminish the efficacy of formal institutions but also erode the credibility of genuine volunteer efforts. This research aims to expand the scope of study of informal institutions in wartime conditions, in particular, to contribute to the discussion on the reasons for Ukraine's resilience during the war and the challenges of overcoming internal threats. While volunteerism in various forms is an essential element of state resilience, fake volunteerism, along with other corrosive institutions, undermines it from within. Drawing on the open-source data, we extract distinctive attributes that enable the differentiation between these phenomena. Additionally, we delve into the structural factors that foster opportunities for fake volunteering in wartime Ukraine, including inadequate legal oversight, the persistence of personal exchanges, and a high level of trust in volunteers. These conditions, exacerbated by escalating economic pressures and social uncertainties, collectively contribute to the emergence of pseudo-volunteering. Our proposed model of fake volunteering allows for a better understanding of this institution's underlying nature. The research offers a novel perspective in explaining new social practices arising from wartime conditions and offering practical insights for establishing legal and social safeguards against fraud during periods of war and post-war reconstruction.

Enhancing community resilience to urban heat waves: A simulation-based approach for volunteer management and shelter selection

This study proposes a novel approach to enhancing urban resilience and emergency management practices in the face of heatwave events, often exacerbated by the urban heat island effect. Recognizing the limitations of traditional government-led responses in shelter allocation—characterized by high costs, logistical challenges, and a lack of adaptability—this paper introduces an innovative framework that integrates community-based volunteer efforts with advanced simulation and stochastic modelling techniques. The primary objective is to optimize the allocation of resources and volunteers to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of heatwave response mechanisms. Utilizing Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), the research identifies and enhances resource and volunteer distribution strategies, paving the way for more effective emergency services. A case study conducted in Blacktown City, Western Sydney, serves to demonstrate the practical application and implications of these strategies, underscoring the necessity for a paradigm shift towards more adaptable, volunteer-focused, and resource-efficient approaches in mitigating the impact of climate-change-induced heat waves on vulnerable urban populations. The anticipated outcomes include measurable improvements in response times, cost reductions, and enhanced volunteer mobilization efficiency.

Program Kerja Rumah Pintar dalam Mengembangkan Literasi Budaya Anak Usia Sekolah Dasar di Yayasan Fajar Sejahtera Indonesia (YAFSI) Kelurahan Amplas

This research was conducted at the Smart House of the Fajar Sejahtera Indonesia Foundation (YAFSI) in Amplas Village. The study aimed to determine the efforts of volunteers in developing cultural literacy programs at the Smart House of the Fajar Sejahtera Indonesia Foundation (YAFSI) in Amplas Village, to identify the factors causing the low implementation of the Smart House's work program in developing cultural literacy for elementary school children at the Fajar Sejahtera Indonesia Foundation (YAFSI) in Amplas Village, and to assess the impact and benefits of the Smart House program on children and the community. In conducting this research, the researcher chose qualitative research with a descriptive approach. To obtain data, the researcher used interview, observation, and documentation techniques. Triangulation of sources technique was employed to test the validity of the data. The results of this study showed that: 1). The efforts of volunteers in developing cultural literacy work programs have been well-implemented, such as providing understanding and strengthening of cultural literacy, the availability of adequate literacy facilities, and collaboration with other organizational institutions. 2). There are several factors that cause the low implementation of the work program, including the lack of awareness or concern among children about information development related to cultural literacy, limited facilities such as reading materials, mutual understanding, and low interest and motivation among children. Therefore, the presence of the Smart House program aims to direct children to continue developing various literacy activities, especially cultural literacy. Given this, the YAFSI Smart House volunteers have introduced various positive and creative work programs to advance cultural literacy development, such as traditional dance activities, storytelling, singing, reading, and more. 3). The impact and benefits provided by the YAFSI Smart House program include children becoming character-based peer educators, having high literacy attitudes, and implementing various activities reflecting cultural literacy development. The impact and benefits for the community include the ability to transform the community to advance in building businesses and entrepreneurship based on local potential.

“Stay tuned!"

“Stay tuned!"

Guiding Canada's Girls Toward the Empire

Through a critical analysis of Guiding's official programming books, the hierarchy of its organizational structure, and scholarly works on the history of the Guiding and Scouting Movements in Britain and Canada, this paper explores the early development of the Girl Guides of Canada; analyzing the early 20th century public's shifting views on girlhood and examining the relationship between Guiding and the British Empire. The central thesis of this essay is that the organization was originally founded in 1910 with a strict, conservative gender ideology and a strong imperial connection, but changed its messaging during the Interwar Period to reflect emerging modern notions of girlhood and imperialism; while still retaining its core values in its official programming. 
 Born out of the Scouting Movement of Great Britain, the Girl Guides of Canada were originally founded with the intention of preparing young girls for a domestic life; serving the British Empire by being dutiful wives and mothers. The organization's mission was to address the public's anxiety surrounding modern girlhood. As new economic and leisure opportunities appeared for women and girls in Canada's urban areas, so did the fear that these working women would lead lives of promiscuity, potentially causing the breakdown of domestic life. Guiding sought to prevent this issue by taking up young girls' spare time with gendered instruction on subjects such as how to run a home and the role of women in the British Empire. This messaging and ideology was incredibly popular at the time, and the Guiding movement spread like wildfire.
 Following the First World War, the Canadian public's views on the role of girls and the British Empire were changing: through Guiding's wartime volunteer efforts, girls had proven themselves to be capable of much more than domestic instruction, and Canada began to question its place within the empire. The emergence of alternative youth movements, with a specific focus on physical training and fostering a Canadian national identity, reflected this change. In response to these developments, the Girl Guides released introduced international camps with messaging surrounding peace and international friendship, and promoted a more progressive view of girls with new badges and activities. This new rhetoric made the movement more appealing to a wider array of girls, but only obscured the organizations original values of imperialism and domesticity. The structure of the organization still adhered to a hierarchy that favoured British Girl Guides, with the Canadian arm taking all direction from Britain. Upon analysis of Guiding's programming books, it is also clear that gendered instruction was still the primary focus of the organization. This paper also examines how Canadian Girl Guides' programming was used to naturalize and assimilate girls who did not fit the Empire's idealized model of white womanhood, such as Indigenous girls attending residential schools and girls from immigrant households, further complicating its notion of internationalism.
 The changes to the Guiding Movement's programming reflect the organization's desire to spread its ideology to a wider audience, rather than a commitment to more modern ideas of girlhood and progressive notions of international friendship. The programming, while becoming more refined over time, still centered around domestic skills and preparing girls for motherhood, while the organization's international structure relied on a hierarchy that placed Britain at the top, and kept Canada at an arms' length.

A Volunteer Effort for Voluntary Adoption.

A Volunteer Effort for Voluntary Adoption.

Psychosocial support initiatives in the aftermath of the 2023 earthquake: A university-led community approach

This article discusses the response of a university psychology department to the devastating earthquakes that struck Türkiye on 6 February 2023, resulting in significant loss of life and widespread destruction. This paper focuses on the narrative practices undertaken by a university psychology department in the affected region, particularly the establishment of a psychological support telephone line staffed by volunteer psychologists. Beyond the initial establishment of the support line, the university extended its outreach to address the immediate needs of affected individuals in five cities, and subsequently, within the university premises. A “Tent of Hope” was established within a “container city” of displaced families to continue psychosocial support. This involved the volunteer efforts of psychology students to offer assistance to both children and adults. Initiatives also included the dissemination of a culturally sensitive booklet for the public and the development of a comprehensive booklet for therapists, aiming to empower individuals and communities in the aftermath of trauma. This paper includes reflections from people who contributed to these initiatives, sharing learning and insights relevant to others responding to natural disasters.

Development of a University-Government Partnership for Public Health Response and Workforce Development in the State of Oregon.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and exacerbated a public health workforce shortage and national strategies have called for the development of clear occupational pathways for students to enter the public health workforce and meaningful public health careers. In response to the immediate need for public health workers during the pandemic, several universities and academic hospitals rapidly mobilized students and employees and partnered with local or state health departments. However, many of those partnerships were based on short-term volunteer effort to support critical COVID-19 public health efforts. In this article, we document the development of Oregon's Public Health Practice Team, a student, staff, and faculty workforce developed at the Oregon Health & Science University-Portland State University (OHSU-PSU) School of Public Health in close collaboration with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). This project contributed significant effort to several phases of Oregon's statewide public health response to COVID-19, and over time developed into a lasting, multi-purpose, inter-agency collaborative public health practice program. Health equity has been centered at every stage of this work. We describe the phases of the partnership development, the current team structure and operations, and highlight key challenges and lessons learned. This provides a case-study of how an innovative and flexible university-government partnership can contribute to immediate pandemic response needs, and also support ongoing public health responses to emerging needs, while contributing to the development of a skilled and diverse public health workforce.

AI-enhanced Citizen Science Discovery of an Active Asteroid: (410590) 2008 GB140

We report the discovery of cometary activity emanating from Main-belt asteroid 410590 (2008 GB140), a finding facilitated, for the first time, by an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant. The assistant, TailNet, is a prototype we designed to enhance volunteer efforts of our Citizen Science project Active Asteroids, a NASA Partner program hosted on the Zooniverse platform. Our follow-up investigation revealed eight Dark Energy Camera images showing 2008 GB140 with a tail spanning UT 2023 April 23–UT 2023 July 3, when the object was inbound to perihelion. We classify 2008 GB140 as an active asteroid and a candidate Main-belt comet (MBC)—a main-belt asteroid that undergoes volatile sublimation-driven activity. Notably, 2008 GB140 is presently near perihelion, thus the object is a prime target for follow-up observations to further characterize its activity.

PACMHCI V8, GROUP, January 2024 Editorial

It is our great pleasure to introduce this issue of the Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, which focuses on contributions from the research community on Supporting Group Work (GROUP). This thriving community is home to researchers within CSCW, HCI for practice-centered computing, sociotechnical studies, and interdisciplinary groups who provide theoretical, methodological, and/or conceptual contributions on collaborative technologies and practices. GROUP's research community vividly raises the awareness of dimensions of growing importance in our highly connected life, as exemplified by the papers included in this issue. Information sharing and moderation in and across groups and formal organisations continue to call for complex research questions. Collaborative practices that have been the object of concern in GROUP become revisited through the lenses of new technologies, as illustrated by the papers investigating recommender systems and conversational agents in collaborative contexts. More than ever, the Internet is acknowledged as a space for social relationships, see for instance the case of dating apps or mom's chat group in this issue. Reflecting on our densely computing supported practices, ethics for research and design become an essential topic for consideration. The editorial board worked hard to organize this first submission round. The call for papers for this issue on GROUP attracted a total of 31 submissions from all over the world, of which 8 papers (25.8 %) were accepted. This issue results from the dedicated volunteer effort of 23 members of the community who served as Associate Chairs (ACs). They all lent their expertise and time to provide insightful feedback to all authors. The Editorial Board can be found on GROUP's track page. As Track Chairs, we are grateful for the community's collective efforts to continue shaping and sharing GROUP's contributions.

The role of hope and conservation attitudes in current conservation actions and future conservation intentions

Current community-led conservation (CLC) actions support present and future biodiversity. Present-day conservation volunteer efforts are measurable; however, future CLC activity is uncertain. Understanding what motivates volunteers to take part in CLC activities is therefore essential. This study investigates the relationships between hope, conservation attitudes, current conservation action, and future conservation intention. We use Snyder’s adult hope state scale to explore the relationship between hope, conservation attitudes, self-reported current conservation actions, and future conservation intentions (planting, weeding, predator control) of 243 adult Aotearoa New Zealand participants. The relationship of hope and conservation attitudes to current conservation action and future conservation intention is complex. Specifically, hope relates to future conservation intention but is not associated with current conservation action. Furthermore, hope negatively correlated with intending volunteer belief that nature could heal itself. Volunteers with future conservation intentions hold conservation attitudes that actively connect people to nature and other people and show commitment to the natural world. Intending volunteers also feel able to help others learn about the natural world, value scientific and technological interventions, and the relative importance of individual effort, teamwork, and collaboration. Volunteers currently active in conservation solely held attitudes of connection to nature, connection to other people, commitment to the natural world, and helping others learn about the natural world. Understanding what motivates volunteers to undertake conservation action is critical to designing sustainable CLC projects that deliver positive outcomes for biodiversity in the long term.

Human dimensions of timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) management to reduce human-wildlife conflict

ABSTRACT Human-wildlife interactions are common across fragmented exurban landscapes. To date, most human dimensions research on human-wildlife conflict has focused on large mammalian carnivores, with less attention to smaller, less-charismatic species. Two isolated populations of state-endangered timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) remain in Connecticut, USA. Our objective was to assess current management, outreach, and collaboration activities associated with an exurban timber rattlesnake population. We conducted qualitative, semi-structured interviews with 16 stakeholders involved with timber rattlesnake management. Results suggested that although forest management does not focus on timber rattlesnakes specifically, participants generally were satisfied with current ecological monitoring practices. Land acquisition and the efforts of volunteers were emphasized as crucial aspects of management and public outreach success. Collaboration associated with timber rattlesnake management has achieved positive outcomes but lacks landscape-level coordination. Paired with ecological efforts, landscape-level leadership offers opportunity for shared resources and recruitment of volunteers to relieve associated capacity constraints.