The process of nding existing examples and knowledge for your observatory should start with a wide search for past or existing initiatives and scienti c studies addressing similar topics. First check the state-of-the-art of the discipline by searching for published works in scienti c databases such as Google Scholar, Science Direct or Research Gate to be aware of research advances and results. This will provide you with a clear view of the gaps in data and knowledge that can be covered by citizen participation. Knowing the current scienti c needs will help you to better identify what data to collect.
Useful Resources
PROJECT REPORTS: From our research into the EU Landscape of Citizen Observatories within the WeObserve project, we
produced three reports: a report that outlines frameworks which can be used to describe and compare Citizen Observatories, a report on the insights from the experiences of Citizen
Observatories, and a roadmap report that sets the stage for future Citizen Observatories.
LANDSCAPE REPORT DATA FILE: The 2016 report by the Finnish Environment Institute on Citizen Observatories contained a databaseof all of the Citizen Observatories that they
discovered during their survey of the landscape of Citizen
Observatories, many of which are still active.
Why is it relevant?
I want to know what data & knowledge we need by finding out what exists already
Past or exiting initiatives & scientific studies
the Copernicus Information Services o er data from the Copernicus satellites and in-situ components;
the GEOSS portal is an access point for users seeking global Earth Observation data, imagery and analytical software packages;
the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) provides open access to data about all types of life on Earth, and many others resources exist related to speci c topics; and
the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) o ers an extensive catalogue of resources in which to nd data, publications, tools and other resources in Europe.
You may also nd it useful to look for resources speci c to your scienti c eld of study, or the environmental issue that you wish to investigate – such as the Citizen Observatories webpage of the network of Marine Protected Areas managers in the Mediterranean (MedPAN).
DATA HANDBOOK: The Afrialliance Data Collection Handbook a practical manual focusing on the development sector and the collection of data, mainly by people, and covers the main elements to consider when designing and implementing a data collection project.
DATA INVENTORY:
Also nd out what data is already available for your research interest. Some global platforms provide speci c data that can be useful or complementary for your purposes. For example:
The European Union’s Joint Research Commission has compiled an Inventory of citizen science activities for
environmental policies, many of which can be considered to be Citizen Observatories.
CoP: The WeObserve Co-ig
des n & Engage Community of Practice brings together
practitioners of Citizen
Observatories and citizen science to share and learn di erent ways of engaging stakeholders in
Citizen Observatories.
After this review, you can then also check if an existing Citizen Observatory is currently doing the same as what you had in mind or has been dedicated to the same or similar topics. That way, you can build on their knowledge and/
or create synergies with them. Two good places to start searching are the citizen science platforms EU-Citizen.Science (aimed at practitioners) and SciStarter (aimed at volunteers and educators).
You may also be interested in:
I want to know what data and knowledge we need…
…by deciding what data to collect
EU-citizen.science
EU-citizen.science is a European platform for sharing knowledge, tools, training and resources for citizen science, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme. It contains a database of more than 150 citizen science projects, with descriptions of their objectives, location, keywords and science topics addressed. A link to access the projects’ websites and databases is also offered, so you can start searching for similar initiatives here in order to know which data they have produced before. In the platform, you will also find a resources database, with more than 90 entries, training materials and links to more than 100 organisations involved in citizen science.
SciStarter is a USA-based online citizen science hub where more than 1,500 projects, searchable by location, topic, age level, etc., have been registered by individual project leaders or imported through partnerships with federal governments, NGOs and universities. SciStarter hosts an active community of close to 100,000 registered citizen scientists and millions of additional site visitors. It includes a comprehensive Project Finder that allows searches by location, context, topic, age level, specific characteristics or by any word. The description of the projects is also very comprehensive and links to the projects’ websites and responsible organisations are provided.
SciStarter
Deciding what kind of data the members of your Citizen Observatory should collect depends on the issue that your Citizen Observatory wants to address and what data and knowledge is still needed. Moreover, this decision needs to be informed by relevant expertise in order to generate valid and reliable data and results.
How can this be done?
Citizen Observatories are based on citizens observing speci c aspects of the environment, sometimes using equipment. For this kind of data, the user’s identi cation, the time and place of the observation, the value of the observation and some supporting material like images, audio recordings or videos for validation purposes are usually collected.
Observations can be as simple as registering a temperature or as complex as taking a lot of measurements as in the RiuNet project, where citizens conduct a complete scienti c analysis of several organic and inorganic parameters indicating river water quality. These types of observational data include biodiversity observations, environmental monitoring, meteorological observations, hydrological measurements, land cover mapping and more.
Useful Resources
BOOK: The AfriAlliance Data Collection Handbook is a
practical manual focusing on the development sector and the collection of data. It covers the main elements to consider when designing and implementing a data collection project.
BOOK CHAPTER: The chapter
“Design and development of geographic citizen science:
technological perspectives and considerations”, in the book
‘Geographic Citizen Science