Conducting citizen science experiments

Citizen science is a broad approach that involves numerous individuals and groups who volunteer to collect and/or analyze data on various projects that are of wide interest. Participants in these projects may be of any gender, age group, and educational background, and they may span across continents. Some common areas where citizen science can be effective include weather and climate monitoring, wildlife tracking, and related areas. Applications include general science, sustainability, climate change, population health, and smart cities. It is expected that the nature, scope, and number of citizen science endeavors will grow immensely in years to come. The types of data gathered by citizen science may include discrete or continuous parameters such as temperature, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and other atmospheric content, images, and audio files.

At scale, citizen science projects can be effective at helping solve large-scale data-intensive...