A Science Products Inventory for Citizen-Science Planning and Evaluation

Area of Science:

• Environmental science
• Ecology
• Conservation biology
• Public health

Background:

• Citizen science engages the public in scientific research, but evaluating its success is challenging due to varied project goals and methodologies.
• Traditional metrics like publication counts and citations fail to capture the full scope of citizen science productivity.
• A need exists for comprehensive tools to assess the scientific contributions of citizen science initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and introduce a Science Products Inventory (SPI) tool for evaluating citizen science project productivity.
• To provide a framework for tracking diverse science outputs and data practices within citizen science projects.
• To support general-purpose planning, management, and funding of citizen science initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Iterative development of the SPI tool involving an expert panel.
• Validation and refinement of the SPI through diverse case studies of citizen science projects.
• Compilation of a comprehensive inventory of items for tracking science outputs and data practices.

Main Results:

• The Science Products Inventory (SPI) offers a structured approach to cataloging citizen science outputs.
• The SPI includes specific items for documenting data collection, analysis, and dissemination.
• Case studies demonstrated the SPI's utility in identifying and evaluating various science products.

Conclusions:

• The SPI tool provides a valuable resource for assessing the scientific productivity of citizen science projects.
• The inventory can guide project management, inform funding decisions, and stimulate further research in citizen science.
• Further development of the SPI can enhance its application across a wider range of citizen science endeavors.