833316 Citizen science in ecology


Type
Lecture and seminar
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Organisation
Offered in
Sommersemester 2023
Languages of instruction
Deutsch

Content

Citizen Science, i.e. the involvement of interested amateurs in scientific projects, is gaining importance in ecology. In these projects participating citizen scientists report observations, conduct measurements or analyse data under the supervision of scientists.
In this course, we will firstly provide an overview of the historic development of citizen science and introduce on-going citizen science projects in the field of ecology. Secondly, in a methods section partly given by guest lecturers, the special requirements of citizen science projects regarding statistical analyses, database management, spatial data, project management, science communication and Open Science will be introduced. Thirdly, in the seminary section, participating students are required to introduce, present and evaluate on-going citizen science projects.
The lecturers of this course run www.citizen-science.at, a platform where Austrian Citizen Science projects from different scienctific fields are presented.

Previous knowledge expected

Basic knowledge in ecology, statistics, scientific publication and presentation techniques.

Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

1.Acquire knowledge on the scientific potential of this uprising research method.
2.Gain knowledge and experience of the basic requirements and factors necessary to run a successful Citizen Science project.
3.Ability to critically judge the possibilities and limits of the Citizen Science approach
4.Ability to conduct Citizen Science projects
5.Knowledge to scientifically evaluate Citizen Science projects and ability to present projects in a consice way that is understandable to the general public
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.