Citizen science in environmental and ecological sciences

Nature Reviews Methods Primers, vol. 2

Abstract

Citizen science is an increasingly acknowledged approach applied in many scientific domains, and particularly within the environmental and ecological sciences, in which non-professional participants contribute to data collection to advance scientific research. We present contributory citizen science as a valuable method to scientists and practitioners within the environmental and ecological sciences, focusing on the full life cycle of citizen science practice, from design to implementation, evaluation and data management. We highlight key issues in citizen science and how to address them, such as participant engagement and retention, data quality assurance and bias correction, as well as ethical considerations regarding data sharing. We also provide a range of examples to illustrate the diversity of applications, from biodiversity research and land cover assessment to forest health monitoring and marine pollution. The aspects of reproducibility and data sharing are considered, placing citizen science within an encompassing open science perspective. Finally, we discuss its limitations and challenges and present an outlook for the application of citizen science in multiple science domains. Contributory citizen science is a method in which non-professional participants contribute to data collection in whole or in part to advance scientific research. This Primer outlines the use of citizen science in the environmental and ecological sciences, discussing participant engagement, data quality assurance and bias correction.

Authors 12

1. Dilek Fraisl corresponding

   International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

   Affiliation as printed

   Novel Data Ecosystems for Sustainability Research Group, Advancing Systems Analysis Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria

2. Gerid Hager

   International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

   Affiliation as printed

   Novel Data Ecosystems for Sustainability Research Group, Advancing Systems Analysis Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria

3. Baptiste Bedessem

   University of Namur · Centre d'Écologie et des Sciences de la Conservation · Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle

   Affiliation as printed

   Centre d’écologie et des sciences de la conservation, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France

   Faculté de droit, Université de Namur, Namur, Belgium

   Centre d'écologie et des sciences de la conservation, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France

4. Margaret M. Gold Aachen Citizen Science Lab

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Citizen Science Lab, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands

5. Pen‐Yuan Hsing

   University of Bath

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, UK

6. Finn Danielsen

   Nordisk Fond for Miljø og Udvikling

   Affiliation as printed

   Nordic Foundation for Development and Ecology (NORDECO), Copenhagen, Denmark

7. Colleen B. Hitchcock

   Brandeis University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA

8. Joseph M. Hulbert

   Washington State University

   Affiliation as printed

   Ornamental Plant Pathology, Department of Plant Pathology, Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Puyallup, WA, USA

9. Jaume Piera

   Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas · Institut de Ciències del Mar

   Affiliation as printed

   Environmental and Sustainability Participatory Information Systems Group, Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain

10. Helen Spiers

    The Francis Crick Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK

11. Martín Thiel

    Universidad Católica del Norte

    Affiliation as printed

    Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), Coquimbo, Chile

    Departamento de Biologia Marina, Facultad Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile

    Millennium Nucleus Ecology and Sustainable Management of Oceanic Island (ESMOI), Coquimbo, Chile

12. Muki Haklay

    University College London

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Geography, University College London (UCL), London, UK