Eco-Ethnography and Citizen Science: Lessons from Within

Abstract

Citizen science is the participation of non-scientists in the collection of scientific data and other aspects of the scientific process. In this manuscript, we explore what it means to participate in citizen science from two perspectives—that of a researcher designing and facilitating a citizen science project, and that of a citizen scientist volunteering the time and energy required for participation. We examine the methods and goals of the projects, describing the challenges faced by researchers and science volunteers alike as they participate in research processes aimed to increase community involvement in science and, by extension, environmental management issues. We describe how the constraints of citizen science models and methods underscore the importance of incorporating alternative anthropological and ethnographic approaches in coastal research, and offer eco-ethnography as a way for scientists to extend their citizen science projects to better reflect the needs and concerns of local communities impacted by climate change and sea-level rise.

Keywords:

• Coastal management
• citizen science
• eco-ethnography
• increasing diversity in science
• public engagement

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all those who participated in both projects, without whom this research would not have been possible. Special thanks to: the Bogue Banks Coastal Groundwater and Stormwater Watch citizen scientists, North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, the town managers of Pine Knoll Shores and Emerald Isle, the mayor of Atlantic Beach, and the North Carolina Coastal Federation. We also wish to thank Dr. Elana Zilberg, Dr. Richard Carson, Dr. Brian Goldfarb, Cary D. Lowe, Dr. Keith Pezzoli, Dr. Fernando Dominguez-Rubio, and the reviewers and editors for providing invaluable feedback during the conceptualization and drafting stages.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for the Bogue Banks project was provided by The National Science Foundation [grant #1756914] and North Carolina Sea Grant [grant # 2014-NCSG-02].