Bridging the Benefits of Online and Community Supported Citizen Science: A Case Study on Motivation and Retention with Conservation-Oriented Volunteers

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dc.contributor.authorFrensley, B. Troyen
dc.contributor.authorCrall, Alyciaen
dc.contributor.authorStern, Marc J.en
dc.contributor.authorJordan, Rebeccaen
dc.contributor.authorGray, Stevenen
dc.contributor.authorPrysby, Michelle D.en
dc.contributor.authorNewman, Gregen
dc.contributor.authorHmelo-Silver, Cindyen
dc.contributor.authorMellor, Daviden
dc.contributor.authorHuang, Joeyen
dc.contributor.departmentForest Resources and Environmental Conservationen
dc.date.accessioned2018-07-24T17:01:38Zen
dc.date.available2018-07-24T17:01:38Zen
dc.date.issued2017en
dc.description.abstractThis study explores the motivations and barriers for participation and persistence in an innovative citizen science pilot project with Virginia Master Naturalist volunteers. The project combines self-guided online training, in-person meetings, and collaboration through social networking and “mental modeling” to support on-the-ground development and execution of citizen science projects developed by participants. Results suggest that the two strongest motivators for volunteers to participate in the project were an interest in the environment and an interest in protecting a local natural resource. Our findings indicate that volunteers with more prior experience participating in citizen science projects and those with higher gross incomes were more likely to persist in the project. Our data also suggest that decisions to persist or drop out of the project were influenced by volunteers’ time commitment, their ability to use the online tools, the perceived relevance of the resources, and the saliency of the project. Projects that arose from pre-existing environmental issues seemed to be more salient and may have enhanced volunteer persistence. We discuss the influence of our findings and the implications for the development of future citizen science projects.en
dc.description.sponsorshipNational Science Foundationen
dc.description.sponsorshipNSF: 1227550en
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.5334/cstp.84en
dc.identifier.issue1en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/84319en
dc.identifier.volume2en
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.publisherUbiquity Pressen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subjectcitizen scienceen
dc.subjectCollaborationen
dc.subjectmotivationsen
dc.subjectbarriersen
dc.subjectonline learningen
dc.subjectparticipatory modelingen
dc.titleBridging the Benefits of Online and Community Supported Citizen Science: A Case Study on Motivation and Retention with Conservation-Oriented Volunteersen
dc.title.serialCitizen Science: Theory and Practiceen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten

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