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By Dana Rotman and Jenny PreeceTRANSCRIPT
Understanding motivational aspects of collaboration between scientists and
citizen scientists – Biotrackers.net
Citizen Science & Biodiversity: Meeting at the crossroads
October 21, 2011
Scientists and enthusiasts
"Scientists often have an aversion to what nonscientists say about science” (Salk, 1986)
Collaboration is based on several factors:• Shared vocabulary, practices, and meanings• Mutual recognition of knowledge, competency, and
prestige• Motivation to collaborate
Research questions
• What are the major motivational factors affecting volunteers and scientists engagement in citizen science projects?
• What are the major motivational barriers to such collaboration?
Motivations for participation
Egoism
Collectivism
Altruism
Principalism
Batson, Ahmad, Tsang, 2002
Scientists and volunteers motivationsfor scientific collaboration
Altruism Collectivism Principalism Egoism0
1
2
3
4
5
ScientistsVolunteers
Motivational Factors
Moti
vatio
nal l
evel
- Li
kert
sca
le
n = 142
Motivational factors affecting citizen scientists participation
• Initial interest• Recognition and attribution• Feedback• Community involvement• Advocacy
The motivational cycle
Personal interestInitial/ongoing
Active collaborationTraining, attribution,
recognition
Initial involvementInterest, thirst for
knowledge
Continued involvementOngoing attribution, inclusion in scientific
work/products, community involvement,
advocacy
egoism
egoism
Egoism, collectivism,
altruism
No continued recognition =
decline in motivation
Without scientists
recognition = loss of
motivation
Scientists – altruistic support
for public education
Scientists – need for data
Obstacles to collaboration
• Mutual apprehension• Lack of trust (“quality control”)• Not acknowledging motivational factors
What next?
• Interventions through design changes:– Variations on feedback– Designing for locality– Matching people and tasks– Breaking down projects to smaller “building blocks”– Synergy of small scale projects
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Questions?