Citizen Science: New Pathways to Public Involvement in Research

Ecological Society Of America, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

Funds are provided for a special issue of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment to cover the topic of Citizen Science: New Pathways to Public Involvement in Research. There is an increasing interest in citizens participating in research in a broad variety of scientific disciplines where they classify galaxies, identify supernovas, measure water quality, track invasive species, or observe phenological events in plants and animals. The special issue will review the history of citizen science projects and focus on the innovative and exciting ways in which citizen scientists are being involved and empowered today. Volunteer networks of citizen scientists greatly add to the ability to collect and analyze data, thereby helping to expand scientific understanding of ecology and environmental change. Papers in the issue will provide a look forward to new and evolving roles of citizens' contributions to basic research and discuss how this confluence of science and education may develop in the future to inform scientific research and to support more diverse networks of participants. By its very nature, citizen science provides an important bridge between science and education at many levels. Wide dissemination will be enhanced by having the entire issue accessible on the web.