Citizen science is when the public contributes to scientific data collection and analysis. Citizen science opportunities vary from image-based biodiversity surveys to crowdsourced collection of data on water levels and changes in coastal contours. Many citizen science projects include participants from around the world, allowing for broad-scale surveys that might not be possible for a single scientist to fund or complete. 

A cartoon of two people taking photos of plants in nature.
What a citizen scientist might look like | Andrawaag; Color modification by Kaldari, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Current Research

Dr. Corey Callaghan is an Assistant Professor of Global Ecology at the University of Florida, and much of his work focuses on how to use, enhance, and understand citizen science projects and data. With support from the UF Global Ecology Research Group, Dr. Callaghan’s research delves into the following aspects of citizen science. 

  • Adaptive Sampling – Adaptive sampling is an approach where the value or analysis of each data point is influenced by what was learned from prior samples. Adaptive sampling can help citizen scientists target areas that have already been identified as high priority. For example, when citizen scientists identify a rare or endangered species in a certain region, others can then more intensely sample that area to provide scientists with more detailed data on that species’ presence or distribution.  
  • Participant Demographics – Because citizen science data is recorded by so many people, it is important to evaluate who participates in citizen science, how these participants may impact data collection, and the motivations that drive them. This information actively guides the design and accessibility of citizen science initiatives, reduces biases, and helps to maximize the recruitment and retention of citizen science participants. 
  • Secondary Data – Many citizen science platforms require image-based identifications, which can provide secondary data alongside the target species data. For example, an image of an animal might provide the target data of that species’ presence in the area, but may also contain secondary data such as the behavior of that animal, its general health or condition, or details about how it is using its habitat. Dr. Callaghan’s research is exploring how this additional information can be efficiently recorded, quantified, and used for further scientific analysis. 
A screenshot of the iNaturalist identification upload page.
An example of a citizen science observation in iNaturalist | Sandra Fauconnier, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Why It Matters

Citizen science allows for data collection on a massive, worldwide scale, making large-scale biodiversity research more achievable. However, these projects are not perfect. Further research into how citizen science works, who is participating, and what different types of data can be collected can help to further streamline the process of data collection and analysis. 

Get Involved

Do you want to participate in citizen science? Look into iNaturalist and eBird, which are beginner-friendly and allow you to instantly contribute citizen science biodiversity data with just an image or audio recording. You can also search for opportunities on SciStarter.com, which allows you to filter opportunities by location, topic, species, and other important factors.