This document provides tips for communicating Citizen Science projects and using social media engagement. It recommends targeting key audiences and engaging citizens early in the design process. Planning social media content should make the project aims and calls to action clear, and explain why citizens should participate and how their contributions will be used. Popular social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+ should be used consistently to support engagement with project communities over the long term. Images, video, guest posts, and live events can help build trust and encourage participation and sharing.

1. Attention, Citizens!
Some tips for communicating your Citizen Science
project – and using social media to do it!
2nd May 2014
Nicola Osborne, COBWEB project team
and EDINA Social Media Officer
Nicola.Osborne@ed.ac.uk

2. Which Citizens do you want to reach?
• What does a successful outcome look like for the
project - who would you reach?
• Target your key audiences… but be prepared to be
flexible to who actually responds.
• Engage from the start – get citizens in at design
stage if possible, test and seek feedback repeatedly.
• Prepare to work hard for attention – plan plenty of
events, dissemination, ongoing communications to
reach your citizens. Social media is part of that mix.
• Take advantage of existing communities –
organisations, online communities, peer networks
can be a trusted and instant link to larger local
groups of citizens.

3. Planning Social Media Content
• Make the aim and call to action clear – how do citizens
take part? What should they do?
• Why should citizens take part?
– Are they contributing to social/ecological/societal
good (e.g. Click to Cure, OPAL)
– Is there personal benefit to taking part? (e.g.
GalaxyZoo’s naming and publications policy)
– Is it fun? (e.g. FoldIt)
– Is is just about exploring curiosity? Or being part of
something bigger? (e.g. RSPB Big Garden Bird
Watch)
• How will their contribution be used? What will it mean?
• Do feedback results and what they mean – and what
the scientific impact is.

4. Social Media Channels: the basics
• Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+, Instagram,
etc. provide easy and widely used channels to support
and maintain contact and engagement with your
community….
• Specialist sites, niche social media, etc. may work best
for particular communities (e.g. Flickr for
photographers). Try stuff out, test the water.
• Brand presences consistently, keep content relevant,
human, and up to date, post often, listen and monitor
regularly.
• Cross promote and link up your social media, web
presences, in person events, activities, press mentions,
etc.
• But remember that not everyone uses social media!

5. What works? A few suggestions…
• Guest posts from influential bloggers and figures can
have a big impact, bring own audiences.
• Humanizing the project, team, and research builds trust
and engagement. Live events/chats can be impactful!
• Images and video are hugely sharable – make them calls
to action that tie back to goals/timings/activities that are
your priorities.
• Reward participation– with acknowledgement, responses
and thanking others for mentions. It keeps attention,
builds respect.
• Long term relationships count, treat all participants
respectfully.
• Reflect your audience(s) back to them – their successes,
interests, personality.

6. Great Citizen Science Resources
• European Citizen Science Association:
http://ecsa.biodiv.naturkundemuseum-berlin.de/
• UK-EOF’s Understanding Citizen Science and Environmental
Monitoring:
http://www.ceh.ac.uk/products/publications/understanding-
citizen-science.html
Projects mentioned in these slides:
• Click to Cure: http://www.clicktocure.net/
• OPAL: http://www.opalexplorenature.org/
• GalaxyZoo: http://www.galaxyzoo.org/
• FoldIt: https://fold.it/portal/
• RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/

7. To follow up today…
• Google+ Group for follow up Hang Outs:
https://plus.google.com/communities/1048944140
32760144202
• Questions on the Google+ Group, via Twitter
(@suchprettyeyes) or email
(nicola.osborne@.ed.ac.uk) welcome!