Citizen science papers

A five paper supplement on citizen science has been published in the open access journal BMC Ecology.

These manuscripts present findings from the analysis of environmental and social data from Open Air Laboratories (OPAL), the public engagement in science programme which is approaching its 10 year anniversary.  The papers touch on some central themes in the field of citizen science such as methodological approaches, motivations, data quality, operational challenges (& potential solutions) and evaluation. The supplement includes:

1.     Surveying the citizen science landscape: an exploration of the design, delivery and impact of citizen science through the lens of the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) programme

Linda Davies, Roger Fradera, Hauke Riesch and Poppy Lakeman-Fraser

2.     Initiating and continuing participation in citizen science for natural history

Glyn Everett and Hilary Geoghegan

3.     Quality control in public participation assessments of water quality: the OPAL Water Survey

N L. Rose, S. D. Turner, B. Goldsmith, L. Gosling and T. A. Davidson 

4.    Differences between urban and rural hedges in England revealed by a citizen science project

Laura Gosling, Tim H. Sparks, Yoseph Araya, Martin Harvey and Janice Ansine

5.     To have your citizen science cake and eat it? Delivering research and outreach through Open Air Laboratories (OPAL)

       Poppy Lakeman-Fraser, Laura Gosling, Andy J. Moffat, Sarah E. West, Roger Fradera, Linda Davies, Maxwell, A. Ayamba and René van der Wal

 

The papers can be found under ‘recent articles’ on the BMC Ecology homepage and on the supplement page

Dr Poppy Lakeman-Fraser has also produced a blog to support the supplement.