Panel Discussion: A More Systematic Approach to Citizen Science: Incorporating Community Efforts into the Existing Public Health/Government Infrastructure

Citizen Science
Oral Presentation

Prepared by

Contact Information: Benforado.Jay@EPA.GOV; (202) 564-3262

ABSTRACT

Citizen science is a transformational approach to engaging the public in
science, public health, and environmental protection. Through citizen
science, the public participates in – and sometimes drives – parts of
the scientific process, including formulating research questions,
collecting and analyzing data, developing technologies, and more. This
movement is generating thousands of projects that engage hundreds of
thousands of participants working to inform science and policy. However,
the impact of citizen science is currently limited due to existing
public health and government infrastructure. This session will describe
current limitations and explore possibilities for expanding the impact
and scope of citizen science. Presenters will describe how
infrastructure for large-scale citizen science – including online
communities and open-source tools – can expand the reach of citizen
science approaches into public health and government spheres.