Using mobile phones to engage citizen scientists in research

摘要: [1] Mobile phone-based tools have the potential to revolutionize way citizen scientists are recruited and retained, facilitating a new type of “connected” scientist—one who collects scientifically relevant data as part his or her daily routine. Established science programs collect information at local, regional, continental scales help answer diverse questions in geosciences environmental sciences. Hundreds thousands contribute recurring research projects such Audubon Society's annual Christmas Bird Count, which drew more than 60,000 observers 2009, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Volunteer Monitoring program, through trained volunteers improve monitoring water quality lakes streams across United States. These relied on traditional recruiting techniques written observations. New methods for engaging participants technology, specifically, mobile applications, apps, provide unprecedented ways immediate access their own others' observations results.