Explore the Frontiers of Citizen Science in New Book from CSPO

From people describing their experience of earthquakes in order to map tremors, to citizens discussing technical aspects of NASA’s Asteroid Initiative, to bird-lovers contributing annually to the Audubon bird count, citizens are finding more ways than ever to participate meaningfully in scientific projects.

What does this participation mean for gathering scientific data and designing experiments? How can technology help citizens take part in scientific projects? What are the implications for adult scientific literacy and scientific engagement? Can citizen scientists exert influence earlier in the process, helping to shape research questions and science policies?

“The Rightful Place of Science: Citizen Science,” the newest volume in CSPO’s innovative book series, explores these questions and many other issues in the evolving field of citizen science. Co-edited by SciStarter founder (and ASU professor) Darlene Cavalier and ASU doctoral student Eric B. Kennedy, the essays in this book place citizen science in its historical and social context, describe compelling citizen science projects, and look to the future of citizen involvement in science and science policymaking.

Tech writer and thinker Alex Pang notes in his foreword to the book, “The essays in this volume illustrate how scholars and practitioners alike can contribute to our understanding of citizen science, and offer some clues about how engagement with citizen science can improve scholarship as well. Writing about innovation sometimes requires being innovative about writing. Volumes like this one (and the other publications in ‘The Rightful Place of Science’ series) represent an interesting experiment in making scholarly work accessible and timely.”

This book is the best introduction to the dynamic landscape of citizen science and those seeking to expand its boundaries. Bill Nye the Science Guy agrees: “Do you look at the world around you and try to figure out what’s going on? Do you like to think? You can do citizen science. Start with this book.”

“Citizen Science” is now available from Amazon.com. It is the seventh volume in CSPO’s “Rightful Place of Science” series, edited by G. Pascal Zachary, which explores the complex interactions of science, technology, politics, and society.