Exploring the use of citizen science to process aerial photographs : challenges and next steps / by L.D. Burns, S.D. Petersen and S.H. Ferguson.: Fs97-6/3165E-PDF

Citizen science, the use of keen but untrained members of the public to assisting scientific research, is becoming an important field of scientific research. In recent years, rapidly developing technology has created new and more ways for citizens to become involved in the scientific community. The most recent advance has been in the gamification of data processing as a way to increase engagement and participation. Gamification is where users play games in order to process or contribute data for research projects. The High Arctic Cetacean Survey of 2013 resulted in a vast database of Arctic aerial images that need to be surveyed for cetacean life, a task that outstrips the capacity of the researchers conducting the survey. The large number of photos and the engaging subject of the photos (Arctic whales) provided an opportunity to design a game based platform to process images. A graduate student from Dalhousie University created a beta version of a game to sort through these photos, but it has not yet been brought to a full working version. Subsequently, a gap analysis was conducted to determine what development was needed to launch the game. We explore here the tasks needed to bring the game to its full use, outline challenges during development, and share recommendations for similar projects.

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Publication information
Department/Agency Canada. Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Title Exploring the use of citizen science to process aerial photographs : challenges and next steps / by L.D. Burns, S.D. Petersen and S.H. Ferguson.
Series title Canadian technical report of fisheries and aquatic sciences, 1488-5379 ; 3165
Publication type Series - View Master Record
Language [English]
Format Electronic
Electronic document
Note(s) Includes bibliographical references.
Publishing information [Ottawa] : Fisheries and Oceans Canada, c2016.
Author / Contributor Burns, L. D.
Petersen, Stephen D.(Stephen Douglas),1972-
Ferguson, Steven H.(Steven Harold),1956-
Description vi, 11 p. : fig.
ISBN 978-0-660-05236-6
Catalogue number
  • Fs97-6/3165E-PDF
Subject terms Whales
Scientific research
Aerial photography
Citizen participation
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