The Citizen Science Opportunity for Researchers and Agencies

Abstract

Citizen science is the generation of new information and knowledge from the participation of nonscientists in traditional scientific activities. In its best case, it is a collaborative endeavor with benefits for the participants, scientists, and society as a whole. Citizen science is not new: Nonmeteorologists have been gathering weather data for centuries, and amateur ornithologists have recorded data for nearly as long (Crain et al. 2014). However, with the advent of low-cost information and communication technologies, there are new possibilities to expand participation in data gathering, exchange, and analysis to other fields of environmental science. A number of questions remain about the balance of costs and benefits of including such participation in ongoing research or monitoring programs.