A Science Products Inventory for Citizen-Science Planning and Evaluation

Area of Science:

• Environmental science
• Ecology
• Conservation biology
• Public health
• Astronomy
• Social sciences

Background:

• Citizen science, involving public participation in scientific research, faces challenges in evaluating project outcomes due to diverse goals and methodologies.
• Traditional metrics like publications and citations are insufficient to capture the full scope of citizen science productivity.
• A standardized approach is needed to assess the scientific contributions of citizen science initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and introduce a comprehensive tool for evaluating the science productivity of citizen science projects.
• To provide a framework for tracking diverse science outputs and data practices within citizen science initiatives.
• To support general-purpose planning, management, and funding of citizen science projects.

Main Methods:

• Iterative development of the Science Products Inventory (SPI) tool.
• Informed by an expert panel and validated through case studies.
• Inclusion of items for tracking science outputs and data practices.

Main Results:

• The developed SPI tool offers a structured inventory for cataloging citizen science products.
• The tool provides examples and descriptions to illustrate various science outputs and data practices.
• Case studies demonstrated the utility of the SPI for project evaluation.

Conclusions:

• The Science Products Inventory (SPI) is a valuable tool for assessing citizen science productivity beyond traditional metrics.
• The SPI can guide project management, funding decisions, and future research in citizen science.
• Further development of the SPI can enhance its application across a wider range of citizen science projects.