It is a type of research in which the citizens (amateurs and no professional researchers) take action and support a targeted research. The selection of the participants for this research varies from a very simple (open to anybody) to more complex processes (eg. to a selected audience or a selected number of participants). The results of the research are analyzed by expert researchers who also ensure their publication to a broader or targeted audience.

1. Dr. Peri Kourakli
Thessaloniki – European Youth Capital 2014
p.kourakli@thessaloniki2014.gr

2. What is Citizen Science?
Citizen Science (citizen science, crowd science, civic
science, networked science, etc) is the scientific research
that conducts, in whole or in part, from
amateurs and non professional researchers;
often by crowdsourcing and crowdfunding.
Citizen science is sometimes called "public
participation in scientific research”

3. Is this sth new? How do we research?
<1900: “gentleman scientists” (Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin,
Charles Darwin,..)
1900-1970: only researchers
1970-1980: researchers asks for democratism of
research (πχ. Paul Feyerabend, philosopher, Erwin Chargaff, biochemist)
1980: introduction of “Citizen Science” from Rick
Bonney, Cornell's Laboratory of Ornithology
1979-1981: The first research of this type from
amateurs naturalists (Drs. Don McCrimmon and Cal Smith)

4. Is this sth recognizable in Europe?
Green Paper on Citizen Science:
Citizen Science for Europe - Towards a
better society of empowered citizens and
enhanced research (2013)
http://www.socientize.eu/sites/default/files/Green%20Paper%20
on%20Citizen%20Science%202013.pdf

5. What makes it a Citizen Science research
 It is an applied research
 It responds to a need of the society
 It can not be conducted without the support of
amateurs
 It is a vision, plan and implementation in which real
scientists and experts are having a lead role
 The results of the research are public and have a
medium or long term perspective

6. Some methods
 Promotion of the mature Citizen Science’s projects (eg.
with exhibitions – Natural History Museum of North Carolina, USA)
 Taking advantage of smart phones applications (eg.
Apps for birds, wild life, meteorology, starts, etc.)
 Citizens invitation for participation, (eg. monitoring wild life
cameras to mission participation)
 Developing online games (eg. NASA, Clickworkers)
 Developing online platforms (eg. Worldbirds, Field
Expedition: Mongolia, Zooniverse,..)

7. Basic steps while design it
1. What is it about? How can it function?
2. How can we support its realization?
3. What does it motivate people so to take part in the
research and what does it discourage them?
4. How can I implement it with the best efficiency ?
5. How do I monitor and evaluate the efficiency?

8. EXAMPLES Monitoring
 Monitoring of bird species, populations and habitats
for BirdLife International (eg. global caretakers network)
 American Association of Variable Star Observers
collects data for stars
 Bugguide.net, an online naturalists community, shares
information regarding arthropods, which are coded by
professionals
 The EU project Citclops (2012–2015) monitors
the environmental status of water bodies

9. EXAMPLES Analysis
 The online game Quantum Moves (Αarhus University)
supports the resolving of quantum physic problems
through the solutions that the players provide
 Amateurs directly analyze data of researchers (SETILive,
Clumpy, EyeWire, Galaxy Zoo , etc Zooniverse projects)
 Collect information through contests (NASA call for
developing a space application)
 Using human body as a scientific sensor (eg.
of the Night, platforms as Cell Slider and Cell Spotting)
the app Loss

10. EXAMPLES Networking- Volunteers
 Travel to areas that research can not go, eg. ocean
(DeepSea Challenger) and space(citizens in Space)
 Volunteers in research centers or research missions
(Earthwatch Institute)
 Creation and operation of unique scientific
instruments that collect data as a part of a larger
project (πχ. project for sailors, amateur radio, amateur astronomy)
 Creation of collective sensor networks in order to
achieve information of extremely high resolution
(eg. Safecast)

11. EXAMPLES Thessaloniki
European Youth Capital 2014
“Clean Thess”
 An applied research on the urban
operational problems inspired by London’s
Olympic Games
 A tool to activate and network both local
civil services and citizens
 Based on android and web applications
www.cleanthess.gr

12. www.thessaloniki2014.gr
This presentation is based on:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science