Comments on: So you want to be a citizen scientist http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/ The Latest on Climate Science, Solutions, and Politics Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:16:56 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Ant http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-38251 Ant Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:37:00 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-38251 I reckon I know another place where you could learn about the invasive species they call the dreaded <a href="http://www.phlorum.com" rel="nofollow">Japanese knotweed</a> I reckon I know another place where you could learn about the invasive species they call the dreaded Japanese knotweed

]]> By: Jay Alt http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33734 Jay Alt Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:05:46 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33734 The NPN should be a very useful information source for the participant groups (users). The sponsors include 10 organizations that know what they're doing, starting with the NSF. If someone sent in a picture of an unidentifiable animal or plant, they'd be politely thanked but the 'sighting' wouldn't be used. Participating groups would provide training and reference resources. The contributors will be very motivated or they won't be involved. The NPN should be a very useful information source for the participant groups (users). The sponsors include 10 organizations that know what they’re doing, starting with the NSF. If someone sent in a picture of an unidentifiable animal or plant, they’d be politely thanked but the ’sighting’ wouldn’t be used. Participating groups would provide training and reference resources. The contributors will be very motivated or they won’t be involved.

]]> By: Stuart http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33732 Stuart Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:42:10 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33732 I worked for eight years at a state park and one thing I did for our visitors is keep a weekly list of what flowers were blooming in the park. I think there are a lot of amateur naturalists/wild foods enthusiasts who can provide good data for this project. Today is the first day of spring, but it will be a couple of months until my apples and juneberries have any flowers to report. I worked for eight years at a state park and one thing I did for our visitors is keep a weekly list of what flowers were blooming in the park. I think there are a lot of amateur naturalists/wild foods enthusiasts who can provide good data for this project.

Today is the first day of spring, but it will be a couple of months until my apples and juneberries have any flowers to report.

]]> By: CapitalClimate http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33724 CapitalClimate Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:43:48 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33724 "sheer number of records" I'm not questioning the volume; what about quality control? “sheer number of records”
I’m not questioning the volume; what about quality control?

]]> By: Chris S http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33699 Chris S Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:51:18 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33699 Citizen Science with respect to phenology has been well harnessed in the UK (although the British tradition of natural history may have had an effect here). The Nature's calender project ( http://www.naturescalendar.org.uk/ ) has been running successfully for a number of years. The sheer number of records is far in advance of what any single scientist (or scientific team) could ever hope to match. There is also a steady trickle of 'back garden science' papers coming out now - a good example is this one from Peterborough (warning: pdf) http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/121482651/PDFSTART?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 on hoverfly phenology. Citizen Science with respect to phenology has been well harnessed in the UK (although the British tradition of natural history may have had an effect here). The Nature’s calender project ( http://www.naturescalendar.org.uk/ ) has been running successfully for a number of years. The sheer number of records is far in advance of what any single scientist (or scientific team) could ever hope to match.

There is also a steady trickle of ‘back garden science’ papers coming out now – a good example is this one from Peterborough (warning: pdf) http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/ cgi-bin/ fulltext/ 121482651/ PDFSTART?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 on hoverfly phenology.

]]> By: CapitalClimate http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33669 CapitalClimate Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:12:32 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33669 "We all have the capability of performing basic science." I would like to be able to believe this, but 3 years of blogging on daily weather in a major metropolitan area which has probably one of the highest percentages of adults with advanced degrees in the world convinced me that the state of scientific illiteracy in this country is truly unimaginable. Why should anyone assume that a random member of the public knows the difference between an azalea and a dogwood, or can even accurately read a calendar! “We all have the capability of performing basic science.”
I would like to be able to believe this, but 3 years of blogging on daily weather in a major metropolitan area which has probably one of the highest percentages of adults with advanced degrees in the world convinced me that the state of scientific illiteracy in this country is truly unimaginable. Why should anyone assume that a random member of the public knows the difference between an azalea and a dogwood, or can even accurately read a calendar!

]]> By: Tim http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33668 Tim Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:04:28 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33668 @ CapitalClimate Exactly Science needs a solid baseline and impeccable data. Photos are a good way to observe tho...glaciers, animals, tree damage etc, either for absolutes or relative-based analysis. tim @ CapitalClimate
Exactly

Science needs a solid baseline and impeccable data.

Photos are a good way to observe tho…glaciers, animals, tree damage etc, either for absolutes or relative-based analysis.

tim

]]> By: Russ http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33653 Russ Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:53:47 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33653 Is there anywhere left where people are supposed to have a human experience as human beings rather than a meta-experience as an appendage of a snivelling little gadget? Is there anywhere left where people are supposed to have a human experience as human beings rather than a meta-experience as an appendage of a snivelling little gadget?

]]> By: mauri pelto http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33649 mauri pelto Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:38:19 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33649 This in an incredibly useful way for scientists to gather data that otherwise cannot be gathered. Do not get caught up in the met station and snowfall measurement concept, the phenology network is looking for something different. We all have the capability of performing basic science. Observing the day cherry blossoms bloom or lilacs bloom, or the first mosquitoes hatch, or the leaves burst forth from a magnolia or lilac or white oak. We can all accurately observed this and report it and collectively do so much better. I utilize ordinary citizens in my field research. There only task to photograph the glacier from a specific location and note the day and send me the photograph, which I use to identify the snowpack extent on the glacier on that day. I cannot be there to observe a certain glacier more than a couple days a year. The list is endless you can use citizen volunteers to record water levels in a lake or stream by simply reading a stage ruler, putting in an automatic recording gage is more than $25,000. So the key is to set up simple observations that can be broadly made and we all can do it. That is the power of citizen science, so do not be a nay-sayer jump in. You are not really being asked to be a scientist just a data point contributor. This in an incredibly useful way for scientists to gather data that otherwise cannot be gathered. Do not get caught up in the met station and snowfall measurement concept, the phenology network is looking for something different. We all have the capability of performing basic science. Observing the day cherry blossoms bloom or lilacs bloom, or the first mosquitoes hatch, or the leaves burst forth from a magnolia or lilac or white oak. We can all accurately observed this and report it and collectively do so much better. I utilize ordinary citizens in my field research. There only task to photograph the glacier from a specific location and note the day and send me the photograph, which I use to identify the snowpack extent on the glacier on that day. I cannot be there to observe a certain glacier more than a couple days a year. The list is endless you can use citizen volunteers to record water levels in a lake or stream by simply reading a stage ruler, putting in an automatic recording gage is more than $25,000. So the key is to set up simple observations that can be broadly made and we all can do it. That is the power of citizen science, so do not be a nay-sayer jump in. You are not really being asked to be a scientist just a data point contributor.

]]> By: CapitalClimate http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33639 CapitalClimate Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:48:43 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-citizen-scientist/#comment-33639 I was intrigued by this idea and <a href="http://capitalclimate.blogspot.com/2008/02/bucket-o-bookmarks-budburst.html" rel="nofollow">blogged </a> about it when it was announced last year, but on further reflection I think it raises an important question. Can this technique produce scientifically valid data, or is it simply a way to raise public awareness? What kind of quality control is possible in such a widely distributed environment? As a meteorologist, I'm sure at least some of the snowfall measurements and other types of reports, especially of extreme events, phoned in by members of the public to the press are unreliable. Notwithstanding the problems with the surface stations project, even something as simple as an air temperature measurement is highly susceptible to distortion from instrument siting. I was intrigued by this idea and blogged about it when it was announced last year, but on further reflection I think it raises an important question. Can this technique produce scientifically valid data, or is it simply a way to raise public awareness? What kind of quality control is possible in such a widely distributed environment? As a meteorologist, I’m sure at least some of the snowfall measurements and other types of reports, especially of extreme events, phoned in by members of the public to the press are unreliable. Notwithstanding the problems with the surface stations project, even something as simple as an air temperature measurement is highly susceptible to distortion from instrument siting.

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