what is extreme citizen science? volunteerism & publicly initiated scientific research
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Extreme Citizen Science (ExCiteS):one end of the citizen science spectrum
Valentine Seymour & Cindy RegaladoExtreme Citizen Science group @ucl_excites
University College London | Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering
public involvement in scientific researchWhat is ‘citizen science’?
Science communication
volunteered/distributed computing
Grassroots/DIY science
Citizen ScienceCitizen Science
Problem definition
Data collectionVisualisation &
analysisAction
Classification & basic analysis
Public Laboratory for Open Technology & Science
Problem definition
Data collection
Visualisation & analysis
ActionClassification
& basic analysis
Basic School
High School
University/College
Postgraduate
PhD
Literacy
Citizen Science today
Problem definition
Data collection
Visualisation & analysis
ActionClassification
& basic analysis
Basic School
High School
University/College
Postgraduate
PhD
Literacy
Towards an inclusive Citizen Science
Engagement in citizen science
• Collaborative science – problem definition, data collection and analysisLevel 4 ‘Extreme’
• Participation in problem definition and data collection
Level 3 ‘Participatory science’
• Citizens as basic interpreters Level 2 ‘Distributed intelligence’
• Citizens as sensors Level 1 ‘Crowdsourcing’
Extreme Citizen Science• Support bottom-up problem definition• Facilitate engagement throughout the
scientific process: from defining the project, agreeing protocols, collecting, analysing and using the results
• Support inclusive engagement, including people who are usually not involved in citizen science
• Support research in places that are usually excluded
Extreme Citizen Science initiatives
• Community mapping,• Pollution monitoring,• Noise monitoring,• Environmental monitoring,• Illegal poaching,• Publicly initiated scientific research…
tackling climate changein Dorset
Community members assess key issues of importance & device action plan using community map online
focused community mapping in London
Participatory mapping supporting & promoting community engagement in decision-making
community mapping
use of public space
crime mapping
public perception
local knowledge
pollution levels…
monitoring nitrogen dioxide…
Low-tech DIY methods for data collection = increased capacity to influence/call for change
…& metal particles
Capacity to devise methods to remediate situation
air-quality monitoring
community noise mapping
Source: Wikimedia
During Eyjafjallajökull eruption
• UCL and London 21 charity owned social enterprise
• Promote and supports community-based initiatives for sustainable communities
• Participatory mapping & GIS application connecting online and off line community engagement
• Support geographical analysis in the third sector
Mapping for Change
Mapping for Change platform
Mapping for Change platform
EU FP7 project EveryAware
Extreme Citizen Science in Congo
Sapelli data collection suite
ExCtieS working across
boundaries
Sapelli data collection in the Arctic
PubliclyInitiated Scientific Research
Cindy RegaladoUCL_ExCiteS | @CwB_london
the challenge
• Problem-solving based primarily on institutionalised and professionalised science practices: ‘objective’ models, controlled experiments, reduced uncertainty
• hinders understanding of the complex multi-scale web of emerging problems & the conception of new methods for their solution
• undermines creativity, skills, competence, and aspirations of a large portion of the population
• Collaborative Science – problem definition, data collection and analysisType 4 ‘Extreme’
• Participation in problem definition and data collection
Type 3 ‘Participatory science’
• Citizens as basic interpreters Type 2 ‘Distributed Intelligence’
• Citizens as sensors Type 1 ‘Crowdsourcing’
• PIScR Tryers & doers – do it yourself, discover it yourself, design it yourselfType 5 ‘Beyond’
types of engagement incitizen science
the complication
“There are no process at the institutional level for the recognition and integration of multiple claims to
knowledge and institutional arrangements cannot yet conceive a process for the validation of bottom-up
knowledge claims because powerful interests subvert the process” – Yvonne Rydin, The Bartlett (2007)
Symptoms of government
& culture
Status of Science
(Self-)trustCognitive / technical mastery
inclusion / exclusion
Publicly Initiated Scientific Research is…
Community oriented & developed
Community owned
Tools can be adapted & spread in an open source
fashion
Civic Science based practice by Public Laboratory for Open Technology & Science
camera
Kite
DIY spectrometry
In Publicly Initiated Scientific
Research…
Locals regarded as experts of their own
environments
Stems from public exploration &
investigation of environments
the power of grassroots & DIY
• range from politicised responses to satisfaction of having a job well done
• referred to as amateurs, hobbyists, makers, hackers…
• essence of DIY is one of self-: self-reliance, self-learning, self satisfaction
• taking ownership, figuring things out by ourselves
• yes, of course, it is frustrating at times
the essence of DIY
the range of DIY
Converting a digital camera into Near Infrared
DIY Arduino-based humidity & temperature
sensor
Explorer of the world playshops
“grassroots bottom-up efforts provide granularity and nuance that renders them inclusive of local issues, knowledges, politics, and sustainable solutions”
Gowanus canal initiative
DIY grassroots in NY: Collecting samples for water quality testing
Do it yourself aerial photographywww.grassrootsmapping.org
LOCAL CITIZEN PHOTOGRAPHY !
2008 State Photo Program
2011 Citizen Kite Photo Program
IMPROVING PUBLIC DATA &CREATING TOOLS FOR LOCAL INSIGHT
mapping a park
mapping
forest damag
e
mapping a
parade
the challenge
• how do we support grassroots initiatives, DIY efforts?
• more science education? …patronising• increased transparency? …anxiety• a shift in focus from “a lack of scientific literacy as a
problem to a recognition of a range of different knowledges that people have and use as they confront science and technology in their everyday lives” Cunningham-Burley (2006)
ENGAGEMENT
TRUST
COMMUNITY
…let’s focus on FACILITATORS
…let’s focus on OUR ROLE
…let’s focus on ENABLERS
to question
to do
it matters
The proposal
[Jayne Evan’s 2010 MSc Project]
Mapping the socio-demographics of
volunteersValentine Seymour
UCL_ExCiteS | @ValentineSeymou
[Jayne Evan’s 2010 MSc Project]
Mapping the socio-demographics of volunteers
“Mobile Goodwill – Realising the Wider Potential”
• From Bean Counting to Behaviour Analysis
• Partnership with European Centre for the Environment & Health at University of Exeter’s Peninsula College of Medicine & Dentistry
• Using TCV’s Management Information system database as an effective monitoring tool
• Measuring the health and wellbeing of volunteers
• What do we know so far? …
Research Questions
Does environmental volunteering improve a person’s mental wellbeing and physical health?
What environmental volunteering activities, if any, influence a person’s mental wellbeing and physical health?
How can this be modelled and analysed effectively so it can be used as a widely accessible monitoring tool?
Wellbeing, Connection to Nature & Engagement
Nature
Individual Wellbeing
Social Interactions
Aesthetic values
LifestyleSocioeconomic Values
Future research directions for wellbeing…
[TCV - Stave Hill]
The future of citizen science• Foster long-term community-level involvement
& activities
• Making use of appropriate cyber infrastructure
• Developing diverse goals & evaluation strategies
• Engaging under-represented audiences
• Effectively disseminating results
“Extreme Citizen Science is science by citizens, where anyone, regardless of their background, can take ownership over and investigate issues that are of concern to them to bring about meaningful change”
valentine.seymour.12@ucl.ac.uk cindy.regalado.11@ucl.ac.uk
www.ucl.ac.uk/excites | @ucl_exciteshttp://www.communitymaps.org.uk
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