While science stories are filled with larger-than-life characters like Marie Skłodowska-Curie or Albert EinsteinNot everyone can win a Nobel Prize for their personal insights.
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But working together as part of a community of experts, citizen scientists can play an important role in real science discovery, experiments, data collection and analysis. .
Through citizen science, ordinary people can participate in extraordinary research.
Citizen science projects cover a wide range of topics. Many have environmental factors, some are the premise of molecular research, and some call for backyard astronomers to work together to scan astronomical objects.
It benefits both researchers and citizen scientists. Through their contributions, citizen scientists can actively pursue personal values and be part of a research community seeking the same goals.
Professional scientists can get more data than they do. This resulted in better accuracy in their measurements and more lines required in their research.
As the practice of citizen science is increasingly established, new ways of communicating it are gaining more and more attention. Platforms like EU-Citizen.Science will play an important role in the sharing of resources and knowledge about public participation in science.
Engaging in citizen science can also have real implications for people living in remote settings. Extreme Citizen Science has found its way deep into the rainforest, where indigenous peoples participate in projects to protect biodiversity and local culture.
Environmental monitoring is a particularly active area of citizen science. We’ll learn about ways people can help improve sustainability and monitor climate from the comfort of their homes and neighborhoods.
Natural scientists want to measure the impact of citizen science and its impact on society, and we’ll find out how they hope to achieve this.
