In the last decade, technology has contributed significantly to greater public engagement in science. The practice of ‘citizen science’ in particular is on the rise, largely due to advances in technology. These programs engage millions of individuals globally to contribute to increased scientific knowledge in the race to protect our health, and conserve our natural world, among other ambitions.
After 6+ years supporting citizen science programs globally, we’ve observed a few key common elements in successful programs. If you’re looking to get your citizen science program off the ground, here are some things to consider.
I’ve worked in the technology space for 20+ years and yet, I can tell you a successful citizen science program is not guaranteed by the development of a mobile app alone. Of course, a comprehensive, well-designed app can provide many interesting and useful features, but ultimately, the success of a citizen science program relies on an engaged community of—you guessed it—citizens. It sounds obvious, but many programs fail to achieve this.
One of the more successful programs of this type I have witnessed is the BC Cetacean Sightings Network run by the crew at Ocean Wise in British Columbia, Canada. The program has been operating for over 20 years and in 2015, it introduced a mobile application to increase whale sighting reports from members of the public. The app known as WhaleReport has helped the Network achieve 70% more whale sighting reports since its launch. However, a large part of its success came as a result of the amazing community outreach and engagement program the Network runs.
The BC Cetacean Sightings Network have actively promoted the program to a variety of stakeholders including residents, marine based workers, lighthouse keepers, commercial ferry and whale sighting companies, building a strong community of citizen scientists to submit sighting reports. So while the WhaleReport app has made the process easier, and has facilitated an improved reporting experience, the strong engagement with varied and committed reporters was a key success factor.
Now that the community of reporters has been established and the numbers of sightings have reached an impressive level, Ocean Wise have not rested on their laurels. The organisation has ramped up their efforts with a modern digital ecosystem incorporating a community web-based portal to support groups that supply reporters, and a web-based version of the WhaleReport app to engage those that do not have access to mobile devices.
In addition, one of the most utilised components of this ecosystem is an application called WhaleReport Alert System (WRAS) that uses the real-time sighting reports being submitted via WhaleReport to alert vessels of whales sighted in their proximity.
Organisations such as Transport Canada and Canada Defence are seeing the success of the program and have commissioned APIs that pass WhaleReport sighting reports through to their own systems further ensuring that the great mammals are better protected.
These are great examples of a citizen science program having a direct and proactive capability to protect the animals that are the subject of the reports.
So, can technology support your citizen science program? Certainly, great apps will make reporting easier and more enjoyable for your citizen scientists – just don’t forget to invest in stakeholder engagement. 
John Heskins Senior Customer Engagement Manager
With over 20 years experience engaging clients globally, John specialises in designing and and re-engineering business information systems and processes to generate workplace efficiencies and meet changing business requirements. John is particularly passionate about the fishing industry, and has led the delivery of information solutions across multiple Australian jurisdictional fisheries and marine agencies in North America. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
In the last decade, technology has contributed significantly to greater public engagement in science. The practice of ‘citizen science’ in particular is on the rise, largely due to advances in technology. These programs engage millions of individuals globally to contribute to increased scientific knowledge in the race to protect our health, and conserve our natural world, among other ambitions.
After 6+ years supporting citizen science programs globally, we’ve observed a few key common elements in successful programs. If you’re looking to get your citizen science program off the ground, here are some things to consider.
I’ve worked in the technology space for 20+ years and yet, I can tell you a successful citizen science program is not guaranteed by the development of a mobile app alone. Of course, a comprehensive, well-designed app can provide many interesting and useful features, but ultimately, the success of a citizen science program relies on an engaged community of—you guessed it—citizens. It sounds obvious, but many programs fail to achieve this.
One of the more successful programs of this type I have witnessed is the BC Cetacean Sightings Network run by the crew at Ocean Wise in British Columbia, Canada. The program has been operating for over 20 years and in 2015, it introduced a mobile application to increase whale sighting reports from members of the public. The app known as WhaleReport has helped the Network achieve 70% more whale sighting reports since its launch. However, a large part of its success came as a result of the amazing community outreach and engagement program the Network runs.
The BC Cetacean Sightings Network have actively promoted the program to a variety of stakeholders including residents, marine based workers, lighthouse keepers, commercial ferry and whale sighting companies, building a strong community of citizen scientists to submit sighting reports. So while the WhaleReport app has made the process easier, and has facilitated an improved reporting experience, the strong engagement with varied and committed reporters was a key success factor.
Now that the community of reporters has been established and the numbers of sightings have reached an impressive level, Ocean Wise have not rested on their laurels. The organisation has ramped up their efforts with a modern digital ecosystem incorporating a community web-based portal to support groups that supply reporters, and a web-based version of the WhaleReport app to engage those that do not have access to mobile devices.
In addition, one of the most utilised components of this ecosystem is an application called WhaleReport Alert System (WRAS) that uses the real-time sighting reports being submitted via WhaleReport to alert vessels of whales sighted in their proximity.
Organisations such as Transport Canada and Canada Defence are seeing the success of the program and have commissioned APIs that pass WhaleReport sighting reports through to their own systems further ensuring that the great mammals are better protected.
These are great examples of a citizen science program having a direct and proactive capability to protect the animals that are the subject of the reports.
So, can technology support your citizen science program? Certainly, great apps will make reporting easier and more enjoyable for your citizen scientists – just don’t forget to invest in stakeholder engagement.
John Heskins Senior Customer Engagement Manager
With over 20 years experience engaging clients globally, John specialises in designing and and re-engineering business information systems and processes to generate workplace efficiencies and meet changing business requirements. John is particularly passionate about the fishing industry, and has led the delivery of information solutions across multiple Australian jurisdictional fisheries and marine agencies in North America. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
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