Does motivation in citizen science change with time and culture?

  • Authors:

  • Dana Rotman;Jen Hammock;Jenny J. Preece;Carol L. Boston;Derek L. Hansen;Anne Bowser;Yurong He

  • Affiliations:

  • University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA;Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA;University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA;University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA;Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA;University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA;University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the companion publication of the 17th ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work & social computing
  • Year:
  • 2014

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Abstract

Citizen scientists are motivated by a variety of factors to contribute biodiversity data to collaborative projects, and these factors change over time. Initially, citizen scientists tend to be motivated by their own intrinsic interests. However, for them to continue to contribute, other factors are necessary to motivate them: feedback about their contribution, acknowledgement by scientists and peers, a sense of belonging to a community, and often more. Culture is known to have a deep and pervasive influence on all aspects of our lives, but how does it influence volunteering in citizen science? Three separate interview studies conducted in the USA, India, and Costa Rica suggest that cultural norms and institutional structures influence citizen science.