OEKB301362 Citizen science in ecology

Type
Lecture and seminar
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Bauer, Thomas , Heigl, Florian , Dörler, Daniel , Suppan, Franz , Kobzina, Monika , Laaha, Gregor
Organisation
Zoology
Offered in
Sommersemester 2027
Languages of instruction
Deutsch
Content

Citizen science – that is, the involvement of interested amateurs in scientific projects – is becoming increasingly important in ecology. Participating citizen scientists report observations, carry out measurements or analyse data (where appropriate, under the guidance of professional scientists).
In this course, an overview of the development, the various fields of application and current citizen science projects in the field of ecology is first presented in lecture format. In a section on methodology, speakers from different specialist areas will present the specific features of citizen science projects with regard to statistical analysis, database management, remote sensing, project management, open data and science communication. In the seminar section, students take part as citizen scientists in an ecological citizen science project on ‘Österreich forscht’ (www.citizen-science.at). The experiences gained during this project, including those relating to the course content covered, are then presented to the other students in the form of a poster.
Previous knowledge expected

Basic knowledge in ecology, statistics, scientific publication and presentation techniques.
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to…
1) …critically examine the methods and results of the citizen science projects presented and articulate these questions in discussion.
2) …describe citizen science as a research method in their own words
3) …explain examples of citizen science projects, highlighting the specific characteristics of how collaboration with people outside the scientific community is implemented
4) …present their experiences as citizen scientists in the form of a poster and evaluate them from the perspective of citizen scientists, drawing on selected course content.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.