Transference of Citizen Science Program Impacts: A Theory Grounded in Public Participation in Scientific Research
Citizen science is known for increasing the geographic, spatial, and temporal scale from which scientists can gather data. It is championed for its potential to provide experiential learning opportunities to the public. Documentation of educational outcomes and benefits for citizen scientists contin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Diversity |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/8/339 |
| _version_ | 1797524109090881536 |
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| author | Louise I. Lynch-O’Brien Wayne A. Babchuk Jenny M. Dauer Tiffany Heng-Moss Doug Golick |
| author_facet | Louise I. Lynch-O’Brien Wayne A. Babchuk Jenny M. Dauer Tiffany Heng-Moss Doug Golick |
| author_sort | Louise I. Lynch-O’Brien |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Citizen science is known for increasing the geographic, spatial, and temporal scale from which scientists can gather data. It is championed for its potential to provide experiential learning opportunities to the public. Documentation of educational outcomes and benefits for citizen scientists continues to grow. This study proposes an added benefit of these collaborations: the transference of program impacts to individuals outside of the program. The experiences of fifteen citizen scientists in entomology citizen science programs were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory methodology. We propose the substantive-level theory of transference to describe the social process by which the educational and attitudinal impacts intended by program leaders for the program participants are filtered by citizen scientists and transferred to others. This process involves individual and external phases, each with associated actions. Transference occurred in participants who had maintained a long-term interest in nature, joined a citizen science program, shared science knowledge and experiences, acquired an expert role to others, and influenced change in others. Transference has implications for how citizen scientists are perceived by professional communities, understanding of the broader impacts and contributions of citizen science to wicked problems, program evaluation, and the design of these programs as informal science education opportunities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:52:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6fe31b7fe7db444d88b6b246abe06cca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:52:39Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-6fe31b7fe7db444d88b6b246abe06cca2023-11-22T07:21:43ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182021-07-0113833910.3390/d13080339Transference of Citizen Science Program Impacts: A Theory Grounded in Public Participation in Scientific ResearchLouise I. Lynch-O’Brien0Wayne A. Babchuk1Jenny M. Dauer2Tiffany Heng-Moss3Doug Golick4Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, ENTO 103B, Lincoln, NE 68583, USADepartment of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, TEAC 225, Lincoln, NE 68588, USASchool of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, HARH 502, Lincoln, NE 68583, USACollege of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, AGH 103, Lincoln, NE 68583, USADepartment of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, ENTO 103B, Lincoln, NE 68583, USACitizen science is known for increasing the geographic, spatial, and temporal scale from which scientists can gather data. It is championed for its potential to provide experiential learning opportunities to the public. Documentation of educational outcomes and benefits for citizen scientists continues to grow. This study proposes an added benefit of these collaborations: the transference of program impacts to individuals outside of the program. The experiences of fifteen citizen scientists in entomology citizen science programs were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory methodology. We propose the substantive-level theory of transference to describe the social process by which the educational and attitudinal impacts intended by program leaders for the program participants are filtered by citizen scientists and transferred to others. This process involves individual and external phases, each with associated actions. Transference occurred in participants who had maintained a long-term interest in nature, joined a citizen science program, shared science knowledge and experiences, acquired an expert role to others, and influenced change in others. Transference has implications for how citizen scientists are perceived by professional communities, understanding of the broader impacts and contributions of citizen science to wicked problems, program evaluation, and the design of these programs as informal science education opportunities.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/8/339citizen sciencetransferencewicked problemsinsect conservationevaluationprogram impacts |
| spellingShingle | Louise I. Lynch-O’Brien Wayne A. Babchuk Jenny M. Dauer Tiffany Heng-Moss Doug Golick Transference of Citizen Science Program Impacts: A Theory Grounded in Public Participation in Scientific Research Diversity citizen science transference wicked problems insect conservation evaluation program impacts |
| title | Transference of Citizen Science Program Impacts: A Theory Grounded in Public Participation in Scientific Research |
| title_full | Transference of Citizen Science Program Impacts: A Theory Grounded in Public Participation in Scientific Research |
| title_fullStr | Transference of Citizen Science Program Impacts: A Theory Grounded in Public Participation in Scientific Research |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transference of Citizen Science Program Impacts: A Theory Grounded in Public Participation in Scientific Research |
| title_short | Transference of Citizen Science Program Impacts: A Theory Grounded in Public Participation in Scientific Research |
| title_sort | transference of citizen science program impacts a theory grounded in public participation in scientific research |
| topic | citizen science transference wicked problems insect conservation evaluation program impacts |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/8/339 |
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