Distributed Scientific Collaboration: Research Opportunities in Citizen Science

A. Wiggins & K. Crowston7 February, 2010

Virtual Citizen Science

• Citizen science projects involve the public with scientists in collaborative research– Generates scientifically-valued outcomes– Depends on participation for scale or scope

• Diverse characteristics– Participants, scientific research goals, task structure, organizational setting, IT use

• We developed a conceptual framework to guide research & cyberinfrastructure development

Distributed Scientific Collaboration: Research Opportunities in Citizen Science

A. Wiggins & K. Crowston7 February, 2010

Distributed Scientific Collaboration: Research Opportunities in Citizen Science

A. Wiggins & K. Crowston7 February, 2010

Issues for Refinement• Structure

– Small groups, communities or networks of practice, crowdsourcing?

– Communities vs organizations• Context

– Place-based vs entirely virtual; translation of collocated practices to online versions

• Experience– More than motivation, effects on outcomes