@article {2015, title = {Surveying the citizen science landscape}, journal = {First Monday}, volume = {26}, number = {1}, year = {2015}, month = {1/2015}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Citizen science has seen enormous growth in recent years, in part due to the influence of the Internet, and a corresponding growth in interest. However, the few stand-out examples that have received attention from media and researchers are not representative of the diversity of the field as a whole, and therefore may not be the best models for those seeking to study or start a citizen science project. In this work, we present the results of a survey of citizen science project leaders, identifying sub-groups of project types according to a variety of features related to project design and management, including funding sources, goals, participant activities, data quality processes, and social interaction. These combined features highlight the diversity of citizen science, providing an overview of the breadth of the phenomenon and laying a foundation for comparison between citizen science projects and to other online communities.

}, doi = {10.5210/fm.v20i1.5520}, url = {https://journals.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/5520}, attachments = {https://citsci.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Surveying\%20the\%20citizen\%20science\%20landscape.pdf}, author = {Wiggins, Andrea and Kevin Crowston} } @article {2012, title = {The future of citizen science: emerging technologies and shifting paradigms}, journal = {Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment}, volume = {10}, year = {2012}, month = {08/2012}, pages = {298{\textendash}304}, abstract = {

Citizen science creates a nexus between science and education that, when coupled with emerging technologies, expands the frontiers of ecological research and public engagement. Using representative technologies and other examples, we examine the future of citizen science in terms of its research processes, program and participant cultures, and scientific communities. Future citizen-science projects will likely be influenced by sociocultural issues related to new technologies and will continue to face practical programmatic challenges. We foresee networked, open science and the use of online computer/video gaming as important tools to engage non-traditional audiences, and offer recommendations to help prepare project managers for impending challenges. A more formalized citizen-science enterprise, complete with networked organizations, associations, journals, and cyberinfrastructure, will advance scientific research, including ecology, and further public education.

}, issn = {1540-9295}, doi = {10.1890/110294}, url = {http://www.esajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1890/110294}, author = {Newman, Greg and Wiggins, Andrea and Crall, Alycia and Graham, Eric and Newman, Sarah and Kevin Crowston} } @proceedings {2012, title = {Goals and tasks: Two typologies of citizen science projects}, year = {2012}, month = {1/2012}, address = {Wailea, HI}, abstract = {

Citizen science is a form of research collaboration involving members of the public in scientific research projects to address real-world problems. Often organized as a virtual collaboration, these projects are a type of open movement, with collective goals addressed through open participation in research tasks. We conducted a survey of citizen science projects to elicit multiple aspects of project design and operation. We then clustered projects based on the tasks performed by participants and on the project{\textquoteright}s stated goals. The clustering results group projects that show similarities along other dimensions, suggesting useful divisions of the projects.

}, attachments = {https://citsci.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/hicss-45-final.pdf}, author = {Wiggins, Andrea and Kevin Crowston} } @article {9999, title = {Describing public participation in scientific research}, year = {2011}, publisher = {Syracuse University School of Information Studies}, abstract = {We report the results of a descriptive survey of citizen science projects, a form of scientific collaboration engaging members of the public with professional researchers. This phenomenon has seen explosive growth in recent years and is garnering interest from a broadening variety of research domains. However, the lack of adequate description of this diverse population hinders useful research. To address this gap, we conducted a survey of citizen science projects. We present a description of the phenomenon to establish a basis for sampling and evaluation of research on citizen science, including details on project resources, participation, technologies, goals, and outcomes. We then reflect on several points of potential development, including technologies to support participation, potential for expanding engagement, and data policies. The diverse organizational and functional arrangements in citizen science projects suggest a variety of areas for future research.}, attachments = {https://citsci.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/iConference2012.pdf}, author = {Wiggins, Andrea and Kevin Crowston} } @article {2011, title = {Design for Citizen Science Workshop Report}, year = {2011}, month = {12/2011}, institution = {Syracuse University School of Information Studies}, type = {Workshop Report}, address = {Syracuse, NY}, attachments = {https://citsci.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CitizenScienceFinalWorkshopReport.pdf}, author = {Wiggins, Andrea} } @proceedings {2011, title = {eBirding: Technology Adoption and the Transformation of Leisure into Science}, year = {2011}, month = {02/2011}, address = {Seattle, WA}, abstract = {The decreasing cost of technology and Internet access has resulted in increasingly large-scale scientific research projects that rely on technology-mediated public participation. This poster takes a process theory perspective to discuss how technology adoption in a citizen science project influences participation and thereby scientific outcomes. The case study finds that some birders change their established practices upon adopting eBird, an online checklist program for bird observations, because the additional effort supports individual satisfaction and community recognition. This dramatically increases the value of the data for research, promoting improved scientific outcomes}, attachments = {https://citsci.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Wiggins2011iConference.pdf}, author = {Wiggins, Andrea} } @conference {2011, title = {From Conservation to Crowdsourcing: A Typology of Citizen Science}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the Forty-fourth Hawai{\textquoteright}i International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-44)}, year = {2011}, month = {1/2011}, address = {Koloa, HI}, abstract = {

Citizen science is a form of research collaboration involving members of the public in scientific research projects to address real-world problems. Often organized as a virtual collaboration, these projects are a type of open movement, with collective goals addressed through open participation in research tasks. Existing typologies of citizen science projects focus primarily on the structure of participation, paying little attention to the organizational and macrostructural properties that are important to designing and managing effective projects and technologies. By examining a variety of project characteristics, we identified five types{\textemdash}Action, Conservation, Investigation, Virtual, and Education{\textemdash}that differ in primary project goals and the importance of physical environment to participation.

}, attachments = {https://citsci.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/hicss-44.pdf}, author = {Wiggins, Andrea and Kevin Crowston} } @unpublished {2010, title = {Crowdsourcing Science: Organizing Virtual Participation in Knowledge Production}, year = {2010}, month = {05/2010}, publisher = {Syracuse University}, type = {PhD Dissertation Proposal}, address = {Syracuse, NY}, abstract = {Citizen science projects involve the public with scientists in collaborative research. When conducted via information technologies, they can yield massive virtual collaborations based on voluntary contributions by diverse participants. As the popularity of citizen science increases, scientists need a more thorough understanding of how research design and implementation decisions affect scientific outcomes in citizen science. In particular, designing information systems to support virtual citizen science requires understanding the relationships between virtuality, technology, and the processes of organizing and participation. These inputs and processes produce scientific outcomes in successful projects, leading to the specific research questions for the proposed study: How do virtuality and technology alter organizing in citizen science? How do virtuality and technology shape participation in citizen science? How do organizing and participation influence scientific outcomes in citizen science? The goal of the research is to develop a theoretical model of virtual organizing and participation in citizen science that can inform practice and provide a conceptual foundation for adaptation to other contexts of virtual participation. In the proposed study, a multiple case study research design will be employed to investigate the influence of virtuality and technology on the processes of organizing and participation, and the resulting impacts on scientific outcomes in citizen science projects. The expected contributions include a multilevel theoretical model of virtual participation processes and comparative analysis of citizen science projects yielding insights that can inform design and management.}, author = {Wiggins, Andrea} } @article {2010, title = {Developing a Conceptual Model of Virtual Organizations for Citizen Science}, journal = {International Journal of Organizational Design and Engineering}, volume = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {9/2010}, pages = {148-162}, type = {Research Note}, abstract = {

This paper develops an organization design-oriented conceptual model of scientific knowledge production through citizen science virtual organizations. Citizen science is a form of organization design for collaborative scientific research involving scientists and volunteers, for which Internet-based modes of participation enable massive virtual collaboration by thousands of members of the public. The conceptual model provides an example of a theory development process and discusses its application to an exploratory study. The paper contributes a multi-level process model for organizing investigation into the impact of design on this form of scientific knowledge production.

}, doi = {10.1504/IJODE.2010.035191}, url = {http://www.inderscience.com/filter.php?aid=35191}, attachments = {https://citsci.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/WigginsCrowstonIJODE2010.pdf}, author = {Wiggins, Andrea and Kevin Crowston} } @conference {2010, title = {Distributed Scientific Collaboration: Research Opportunities in Citizen Science}, booktitle = {The Changing Dynamics of Scientific Collaboration, CSCW 2010 workshop}, year = {2010}, month = {02/2010}, address = {Savannah, GA}, abstract = {This paper introduces a conceptual framework for research on citizen science, a form of collaboration involving scientists and volunteers in scientific research. Designing CSCW systems to support this type of scientific collaboration requires understanding the effects of organizational and work design on the scientific outcomes of citizen science projects. Initial directions for future research are identified, with the goal of developing a foundation for research on and development of cyberinfrastructure and collaborative technologies for supporting citizen science. }, url = {http://www.sci.utah.edu/cscw2010papers.html}, attachments = {https://citsci.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/WigginsCSCWworkshop_0.pdf}, author = {Wiggins, Andrea and Kevin Crowston} } @conference {2010, title = {Organizing From the Middle Out: Citizen Science in the National Parks}, booktitle = {iConference 2010}, year = {2010}, month = {02/2010}, address = {Champaign, IL}, abstract = {

This poster presents initial findings from a dissertation pilot study on a citizen science project involving the public with scientists in collaborative research. The goal for the pilot study was familiarity with the contextual factors that influence citizen science project design, and in turn, observing how the design choices contribute to the project{\textquoteright}s knowledge creation and participation outcomes. The initial results highlight an unexpected form of {\textquoteleft}middle-out{\textquoteright} organizing that challenges assumptions about top-down and bottom-up organizing, as the location of the top and bottom are clearly a matter of perspective in inter-organizational partnerships.

}, attachments = {https://citsci.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Wiggins2010iConference.pdf , https://citsci.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Wiggins2010iConferencePoster.pdf}, author = {Wiggins, Andrea} } @proceedings {2010, title = {Technology and Work Practices in Citizen Science}, year = {2010}, month = {10/2010}, address = {Pittsburgh, PA}, abstract = {Citizen science is a form of research collaboration that actively involves the public in scientific research to address real-world problems. Research designed specifically for public participation is a form of information work for which the design of tasks and supporting technologies for volunteers is critically important to the scientific outcomes. This study examines the relationship between information and communication technologies (ICTs) and work practices, with the goal of generating insights to inform the design and management of cyberinfrastructure for citizen science. Comparing three projects with similar volunteer participation activities but varied organizational structures highlighted the importance of project goals and resources in the adoption of technologies, and strategies for using ICT to support ongoing participation and quality assurance.}, attachments = {https://citsci.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Wiggins2010ASIST.pdf , https://citsci.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/ASIST2010poster.pdf}, author = {Wiggins, Andrea} } @conference {2009, title = {Designing Virtual Organizations for Citizen Science}, booktitle = {IFIP Working Group 8.2 OASIS workshop 2009}, year = {2009}, month = {12/2009}, address = {Phoenix, AZ}, url = {http://sprouts.aisnet.org/9-56/}, attachments = {https://citsci.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/WigginsOASIS2009.pdf , https://citsci.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/awigginsOASIS2009.ppt}, author = {Wiggins, Andrea and Kevin Crowston}, editor = {Uri Gal} }