1. Raise interest in/understanding of science. 2. Grow the ranks of citizen scientists.3. Encourage citizen involvement in research

projects and policy discussions.

Goals

Citizen Science

Citizen Microbiology WorkshopJanuary 23-24, 1012

UC Davis Conference CenterHosted by MicroBEnet

Darlene CavalierDarlene[at]scistarter[dot]com

www.scistarter.comwww.sciencecheerleader.com

Please contact author for permission to repurpose content/images.

“Public is dumb.” Scientists are weary.

QuickTime™ and aYUV420 codec decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

CIVIC ADULT SCIENTIFIC LITERACY IN THE US, 1988 – 2005 [MILLER, J.D., 2007]

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Year

Percent CSL

In 2005 U.S. Ranked Second only to Sweden in Civic Scientific Literacy

Civic Scientific Literacy in the U.S. , while still low, has tripled between 1988 and 2005.

ENGAGEMENT Little evidence exposure to information per se

leads to either deeper understanding or an ability to incorporate scientific knowledge into better decision making.

Important to think about communication as a process of mutual interaction and a seeking of understanding, rather than simply as a means to transmit knowledge accurately to the public.

When science is not emotionally satisfying, it will fail to address deeper questions of identity and personal experience and will be rejected in favor of less reliable sources of information and advice.

-- Judith Ramaley, Science Literacy for the 21st Century

= Citizen Science!

Someone you know is a CITIZEN SCIENTIST

eBird 1.5 million

reports

Water testing500,000monitors

SETI@ home5 million

volunteers

Citizen science yields SERIOUS SCIENCE

Provided data for dozens of peer-reviewed papers

Discovered cocaine & hormones in Puget Sound drinking water

Showed that birds migrate closer to poles due to global warming

Recording colors of backyard snail shells to help determine if they’re changed with our warming climate.

Building affordable satellites for missions in atmospheric physics to microgravity experiments.

Analyzing wild algae species for their potential to produce biofuels.

To find projects, citizen scientists have to search and search

About 137,000 results

Darlene Cavalierwww.scistarter.com

We are a website that connects regular people

toreal science they can do.

Millions of people enjoy

science & nature.

Thousands of scientists need

volunteers.

But they can’t find each other.

Weconnect

them

Scientist image and cit scientist images tk to illustrate “we connect them”

Weconnect

them

Searchable database of projects.

To make it easier for people to learn about and get involved in projects.To make it easier for people to learn about and get involved in projects.

“When SciStarter promoted the Mastodon Matrix Project, we saw a 12% increase in website hits for museumoftheearth.org, which was huge for us - and we can track them directly from your website. And we found that people spent an average of about 3.5 minutes on the site!

The biggest news is that Mastodon Matrix Project participation more than doubled, from about 2400 in 2010, to over 5500 in 2011 - and again, I can trace that increase directly to our presence on your website.

Thank you so much for everything you do!”

Cheers -Carlyn S. Buckler, Ph.D.

Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth1259 Trumansburg Road, Ithaca, NY 14850Adj. Asst. Professor of Earth SciencesState University New York, Oneontawww.MuseumoftheEarth.orgCornell University

Appears to be working.

Who do you want involved?What motivates motivates your participants to act?

To advance fields of research?

To connect/protect nature?To connect/protect nature?

Personal enrichment, satisfy curiosityPersonal enrichment, satisfy curiosity

To shape emerging fields?To shape emerging fields?

Money?Money?

Community/civic concerns?Community/civic concerns?

Community/civic concerns?Community/civic concerns?

Cheerleaders? (Pop Culture says it cool!.)Cheerleaders? (Pop Culture says it cool!.)

The Science Cheerleaders are current and former NFL and NBA cheerleaders pursuing science careers who playfully challenge stereotypes, inspire young girls to consider science careers AND mobilize fans to get involved in citizen science!

How will you satisfy your volunteers?

Clear, informative, welcoming…Clear, informative, welcoming…

Messaging AND process.

Too much Too little

Information

No need to reinvent the wheel, entirely.

Methodologies, evaluations, data collection tools/sorting/sharing/visualizing, community building, educational outreach, publishing papers…how to sustain your project:

Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology , NC State, Zooniverse, Ushahidi, Public Labs, Azavea, KickStarter, RocketHub…

Federal agencies (NASA, NIH), data/supportAnd more.

Collaborate.

“Citizen science has helped democratize science and helped people to understand they can have an influence on science by being a part of it.”

Rick Bonney, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

More can be done!

Citizen Scientists

PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT SCIENTIFIC ISSUES Science literacy only accounts for a small

fraction of variance in how lay public form opinion about controversial issues of science.

Accurate communication and understanding of science cannot separate policy decisions from values, political contexts and necessary trade-offs between costs, benefits and risks.

[ Nisbet and Scheufele, 2009]

Report emphasizes the need to incorporate citizen-participation methods to complement expert analysis.

Decentralized expertise (tapping the knowledge of scientists across the nation) and citizen engagement

Redefines technology assessment model

New model (ECAST) provides opportunities to generate input from diverse public audience, while promoting societal discussions and public education.

ECAST = EXPERT & CITIZEN ASSESSMENT OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY NETWORK

Science CheerleaderWoodrow Wilson Center for ScholarsArizona State UniversityBoston Museum of ScienceLoka Institute.

AN INSTITUTIONAL NETWORK MODEL

Direct public interfaceTrusted public educatorsInnovation in citizen-friendly pedagogy

Innovation in TA concepts/methodsResearch, analysis and evaluationTraining of researchers/practitioners

Policy relevanceInterface with policy-makersBroad dissemination

Science Museums

Nonpartisan PolicyResearch Organizations

Universities

“Policy formation without citizen participation is like faith and love without hope and charity.” Senator Edward Kennedy

1. Raise interest in/understanding of science. 2. Grow the ranks of citizen scientists.3. Encourage citizen involvement in research

projects and policy discussions.

Goals

By helping Americans rediscover, do, and shape science, we can mobilize one of the nation’s greatest resources to renew our country’s “love affair with science.”