What is citizen science?

Emily Richter. 02/12/2021

Scientific research, especially when it is regarding ecology or biology, can be a daunting task. Researchers often have to collect vast amounts of data in a short amount of time, a task that proves itself to be difficult. How can researchers ease this burden by outsourcing this work to willing and reliable sources? The answer lies in something called citizen science.

The United States’ National Park Service defines citizen science as “the voluntary involvement of the public in scientific research”. What exactly is the “voluntary involvement of the public”, and precisely how can everyday people contribute to complex research projects? The answer to this query is multifaceted and complex, ultimately outlining a system that connects scientific enthusiasts to researchers in need of a hand.

Sometimes citizen science involves recruiting volunteers to participate in outlined data collection. Scientists and other research leaders teach willing citizens how to collect data in a way that is consistent with a particular research project, and then the volunteers complete specific assigned tasks. One event structured in this way is the Monarch Butterfly Monitoring Project based in Kansas. Every fall, volunteers across the United States gather in designated Monarch butterfly migration and breeding sites to collect data on everything from the presence of Monarch eggs on host plants like milkweed to parasites on adult butterflies. After undergoing a training process led by professional biologists, volunteers spend hours counting, capturing, tagging, observing and photographing Monarchs. Already, the efforts of thousands of dedicated citizen scientists have helped researchers at the University of Kansas and the University of Wisconsin-Madison understand the lives these elusive insects live.

Despite the usefulness of organized citizen science events, many people do not have the free time to participate in events such as these. Several are multiple-hour commitments that take place far away from cities or suburban areas. Semi-organized events such as the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s NestWatch can be great compromises for people who want to take part in structured data collection without having to clear their calendars. Prospective NestWatch volunteers are trained by ornithologists and professional researchers. The training covers the basics of bird biology and explains how NestWatch citizen scientists should collect and report data on birds’ nests. For each recorded nest, NestWatch aims to collect data regarding the nesting trends of different species of birds. With the help of thousands of dedicated citizen scientists, the project aims to understand how the changing environment is impacting birds and their breeding habits.

Organized and semi-organized volunteer projects are helpful, but they can only collect so much data. How do researchers use citizen science to collect large amounts of data from all around the world? The answer lies with cameras and cell phones. In big cities, people walk to work and take pictures of the eye-catching plants and animals that cross their paths. Those who live in rural areas take pictures that outline the ecosystems playing out around them. Visitors of protected areas of nature marvel at the living wonders around them, taking pictures of everything from the smallest butterfly to the tallest tree. What if those pictures could be used to contribute to professional research and advance science?

Citizen science websites like iNaturalist use a format similar to social media to collect data on a wide variety of species. Contributors submit pictures along with basic information about when and where the picture was taken, and the post is released to the website, where viewers can add to the post and comment on it. If enough people interact with the post, the picture and associated information can be tagged as “Research Grade”. Citizen science websites like iNaturalist bring together people from different backgrounds with different knowledge and different skills, creating a thriving community that contributes significantly to scientific research.

Scientists all over the world consistently use data from iNaturalist to answer their questions about the range and habits of different organisms. Another similar citizen science website, eBird, has allowed scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Colorado State University to discover patterns that reflect the novel needs of migratory birds in a world full of changing environments. As of early 2021, citizen scientists on eBird have cataloged over 10,000 species of birds, helping biologists, ecologists and ornithologists gain an understanding of specific species at a groundbreaking rate.

While most often used within ecological and biological fields, citizen science has also been applied to other areas of scientific study, including astronomy. The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) regularly uses the observations of astrological citizen scientists as starting points for various projects and studies.

Anyone interested in participating in any type of citizen science can easily find a way to do so. The National Park Service houses a large database of different organized volunteer events on their website, complete with filters based on location, project type and event format. To participate in citizen science via iNaturalist, eBird or NestWatch, one can simply make an account for free and begin participating immediately. A database including other internet-based citizen science opportunities can be found through the website of the Citizen Science Alliance. Citizen science pushes scientific research forward like nothing else, and every person who participates in the crowd-sourced form of data collection is immeasurably valuable to the scientific community.

Cover Photo: (National Park Service)