Step by step towards citizen science — deconstructing youth participation in BioBlitzes
Journal article › Research › Peer reviewed
Publication data
| By | Julia Lorke, Heidi L. Ballard, Annie E. Miller, Rebecca D. Swanson, Sasha Pratt-Taweh, Jessie N. Jennewein, Lila Higgins, Rebecca F. Johnson, Alison N. Young, Maryam Ghadiri Khanaposhtani, Lucy D. Robinson |
| Original language | English |
| Published in | Journal of Science Communication, 20(04), Article A03 |
| Pages | 21 |
| Editor (Publisher) | Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA) |
| ISSN | 1824-2049 |
| DOI/Link | https://doi.org/10.22323/2.20040203 |
| Publication status | Published – 06.2021 |
BioBlitzes, typically one-day citizen science (CS) events, provide opportunities for the public to participate in data collection for research and conservation, potentially promoting deeper engagement with science. We observed 81 youth at 15 BioBlitzes in the U.S. and U.K., identifying five steps participants use to create a biological record (Exploring, Observing, Identifying, Documenting and Recording). We found 67 youth engaged in at least one of the steps, but seldom in all, with rare participation in Recording which is crucial for contributing data to CS. These findings suggest BioBlitzes should reduce barriers to Recording for youth to increase engagement with science.
