CAISE Inquiry Group Report, July 2009Public Participation in Scientific Research: Defining the Field and

Assessing its Potential for Informal Science Education

Bonney, R., Ballard, H., Jordan, R., McCallie, E., Phillips, T., Shirk, J., and Wilderman, C.

Center for the Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE)

Program Development & Evaluation

Scientist/ Technician

Public Participants

Define a question/issueGather informationDevelop explanationsDesign data collection methodsCollect data/samplesAnalyze samplesAnalyze dataInterpret data/concludeDisseminate conclusionsDiscuss results/inquire further

Steps in scientific process:

Program Development & Evaluation

Contributory

Define a question/issueGather informationDevelop explanationsDesign data collection methodsCollect data/samplesAnalyze samplesAnalyze dataInterpret data/concludeDisseminate conclusionsDiscuss results/inquire further

Collaborative Co-CreatedPPSR models:

Program Development & Evaluation

Boundary of Northern Range

1990

2005

2000

1995

Project FeederWatchContributory

Program Development & Evaluation

Shermans Creek Conservation AssociationCo-created

Flickr photo, sierraclub

Flickr photo, 900hp

Program Development & Evaluation

Define a question/issueGather informationDevelop explanationsDesign data collection methodsCollect data/samplesAnalyze samplesAnalyze dataInterpret data/concludeDisseminate conclusionsDiscuss results/inquire further

Science center citizen science participation distribution:

0

5

10

15

20

Collecting data/samples

Series1

0

5

10

15

20

Discussing conclusions

Series1

0

5

10

15

20

Defining the question/issue

Series1

Program Development & Evaluation

Canadian Community Monitoring Network(Pollock and Whitelaw 2005; Vaughan et al 2003)

timely accessible relevant useful

Program Development & Evaluation

Environmental activities

Information(external)

Experience(internal)

Decision making

Values and perspectives

Recording

EmpowermentInterpretation

Adapted from Lawrence 2009

Program Development & Evaluation

Engaging researchers: Potentials

Program Development & Evaluation

Engaging researchers: Challenges

Logistic• Researcher aren’t everywhere

Perceived• Interpreting complex ideas• Making the global local• Engaging diverse stakeholders• Controversy/advocacy

Program Development & Evaluation

Decisions about risk

RationalAnalyticalCognitive

EmotionalValue-based

Affective

(Leiserowitz 2006)