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Project Descriptions

Investigating Audience Engagement with Citizen Science

September 1, 2009 - August 31, 2013 | Public Programs
The Adler Planetarium, Johns Hopkins University, and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville are investigating the potential of online citizen science projects to broaden the pool of volunteers who participate in analysis and investigation of digital data and to deepen volunteers' engagement in scientific inquiry. The Investigating Audience Engagement with Citizen Science project is administering surveys and conducting case studies to identify factors that lead volunteers to engage in the astronomy-focused Galaxy Zoo project and its Zooniverse extensions. The project is (1) identifying volunteers' motivations for joining and staying involved, (2) determining factors that influence volunteers' movement from lower to higher levels of involvement, and (3) designing features that influence volunteer involvement. The project's research findings will help informal science educators and scientists refine existing citizen science programs and develop new ones that maximize volunteer engagement, improve the user experience, and build a more scientifically literate public.

Funders

NSF
Funding Program: ISE/AISL
Award Number: 0917608
Funding Amount: 296643

TEAM MEMBERS

  • Karen Carney
    Principal Investigator
    Adler Planetarium
  • Michael Raddick
    Co-Principal Investigator
    Johns Hopkins University
  • Pamela Gay
    Co-Principal Investigator
    Southern Illinois University
  • Discipline: Education and learning science | Space science
    Audience: General Public | Museum/ISE Professionals | Evaluators
    Environment Type: Public Programs | Citizen Science Programs

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