The Critical Importance of Citizen Science Data

Alex de Sherbinin; Anne Bowser; Tyng-Ruey Chuang; Caren Cooper; Finn Danielsen; Rorie Edmunds; Peter Elias; Elaine Faustman; Carolynne Hultquist; Rosy Mondardini; Ioana Popescu; Adenike Shonowo; Kishore Sivakumar

doi:10.3389/fclim.2021.650760

Frontiers in Climate (Mar 2021)

The Critical Importance of Citizen Science Data

Alex de Sherbinin,
Anne Bowser,
Tyng-Ruey Chuang,
Caren Cooper,
Finn Danielsen,
Rorie Edmunds,
Peter Elias,
Elaine Faustman,
Carolynne Hultquist,
Rosy Mondardini,
Ioana Popescu,
Adenike Shonowo,
Kishore Sivakumar

Affiliations

Alex de Sherbinin: Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), The Earth Institute, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, United States
Anne Bowser: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, DC, United States
Tyng-Ruey Chuang: Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
Caren Cooper: Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
Finn Danielsen: Nordic Foundation for Development and Ecology (NORDECO), Copenhagen, Denmark
Rorie Edmunds: International Programme Office, World Data System, Tokyo, Japan
Peter Elias: Department of Geography, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
Elaine Faustman: Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication (IRARC), School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
Carolynne Hultquist: Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), The Earth Institute, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, United States
Rosy Mondardini: Citizen Science Center Zurich, ETHZ and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Ioana Popescu: 0IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Delft, Netherlands
Adenike Shonowo: Department of Geography, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
Kishore Sivakumar: 1Interdisciplinary Engineering and Social Science Education Research, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2021.650760
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 3

Abstract

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Citizen science is an important vehicle for democratizing science and promoting the goal of universal and equitable access to scientific data and information. Data generated by citizen science groups have become an increasingly important source for scientists, applied users and those pursuing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Citizen science data are used extensively in studies of biodiversity and pollution; crowdsourced data are being used by UN operational agencies for humanitarian activities; and citizen scientists are providing data relevant to monitoring the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This article provides an International Science Council (ISC) perspective on citizen science data generating activities in support of the 2030 Agenda and on needed improvements to the citizen science community's data stewardship practices for the benefit of science and society by presenting results of research undertaken by an ISC-sponsored Task Group.

Published in Frontiers in Climate

ISSN: 2624-9553 (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Environmental sciences
Website: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/climate#

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