The Bring Your Own Data Forum (BYOD Forum) brought together participants across several different subject areas (genomics, public health, ecology, seismology, and intelligence) to discuss different approaches and methods for using citizen-generated data and citizen science. The day proved informative and began to provide insight into some key questions and concepts.

Citizen participation can bring great value to projects by increasing the number of data points collected, serving a larger population area, and promoting public awareness and concern for specific issues. Citizens are more likely to participate in studies focusing on a subject matter that they are already passionate about. Citizens want to know that someone is listening to them, helping them feel engaged and empowered. Projects need to be open and transparent with the locus of control with the participants. Citizens want to see a visible research process with intermediate results shared along the way and final results shared in ways that are understandable. Participation in the project should be easy, with some added value seen in projects that incorporate an online community and educational materials. At the end of it all, citizens want to get something back from the project such as further education, visualizations of their data, or participation in future studies.

There are certain challenges and limitations to citizen-generated data that were discussed during the forum. Issues with vetting and introduction of bias into the data can exist as researchers and project coordinators make decisions on what data to accept/reject and how to correlate the data with the number and location of participants. Recruitment and retention of citizen volunteers can require significant time and planning for the project team. Further, unique privacy and legal issues may exist with citizen-generated data which must be addressed before the data can be collected.

Check out the BYOD Forum Meeting Summary to learn more about our findings. Have additional thoughts on the meeting report or on the use of citizen generated data? Let us know by submitting a comment.