Citizen science empowers the public. Increased public participation in scientific research supports engagement/contributions of underrepresented individuals and communities in the scientific enterprise. Citizen science enables people to actively learn more about the world around them and address issues they are curious and concerned about. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS The mission of citizen science aligns with public libraries and many community organizations as we collectively strive to ensure equitable access to information, increase knowledge, create participatory lifelong learning experiences and build and support diverse communities. Watch the webinars featured on SciStarter learn how libraries can be activated as hubs for citizen science: SciStarter.org/Library-Resources.
Four common features of citizen science include the following: 1. Anyone can participate. 2. Participants and professional scientists use the same process—or protocols—to make observations and collect, share and analyze data so the data can be trusted and used. 3. Data can help scientists and participants advance research and support decision-making. 4. Everyday people, as well as scientists, have access to and can use the data. With such a wide range of project support, disciplines, scales and timelines, the objective remains the same: citizen science can lead to discoveries an individual could never achieve alone.
The Library & Community Guide to Citizen Science
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SECTION 1: Citizen Science Overview
