Aurorasaurus Publishes in Citizen Science: Theory and Practice

Aurorasaurus Publishes in Citizen Science: Theory and Practice

In collaboration with the NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC) and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), participatory science project Aurorasaurus, recently published a paper titled: Practical Applications of a Participatory Science Project Evaluation Tool: Perspectives from Across Earth and Space Science in the online journal, Citizen Science: Theory and Practice.

The Aurorasaurus project uses participatory science, also called citizen science, to help track the Northern and Southern Lights around the world.  While traditional science often uses peer-reviewed scientific publications and citations to gauge efficacy, participatory science projects span a broader range of goals, methods, and products than can be captured by these methods.

One newer participatory science evaluation tool is the Science Products Inventory (SPI), a checklist-style inventory that tracks a variety of outputs. In this paper, New Mexico Consortium employee and Aurorasaurus project manager Laura Brandt Edson and her colleagues explored the SPI’s utility and flexibility for use cases across multiple, US federally-funded participatory science projects. They found that the tool was easily customizable, making it suitable for individual project needs, including meeting the needs of funders for evaluation. It was easy to use, making it suitable for data gathering by non-expert evaluators, and it enabled practitioners to reflect on ways to enhance a project’s impact. They also found it useful for comparing evaluation data over time and between projects. While a mix of evaluation approaches may suit individual project goals and stakeholders, the findings in this publication demonstrate ways that simple, customizable tools like the SPI can benefit a range of participatory science projects and programs.

Especially as this is her first, first-author academic paper, Edson emphasizes her gratitude to her coauthors for their guidance through the process of publication.

To learn more, read the article at: Practical Applications of a Participatory Science Project Evaluation Tool: Perspectives from Across Earth and Space Science