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Abstract Detail



Public Participation in Scientific Research:Emerging Resources for Botany

Miller-Rushing, Abraham [1], Domroese, Meg [2], Shirk, Jennifer [3], Bonney, Rick [3].

Formalization of the Field of Public Participation in Scientific Research.

Citizen science and other forms of public participation in scientific research (PPSR) are rapidly expanding our knowledge of the world around us, enhancing public understanding of scientific processes, and contributing to management and policy decisions. Projects span many fields—including astronomy, molecular biology, human and environmental health, ecology, and conservation biology. Despite the rapid growth and impact of PPSR, there is limited communication of insights across projects and fields of study, and few venues for engaging participatory science practitioners across disciplines. Recently, a consortium of organizations and individuals worked together to convene a Conference on Public Participation in Scientific Research. The conference aimed to formalize PPSR as a field of study and practice; stimulate communication, collaboration, and innovation; and develop an organizational structure for the field of PPSR. (More information about the agenda, speakers, advisors, and video footage are available at www.citizenscience.org/community/conference2012). A palpable sense of accomplishment ran through the presentations and discussions—participants clearly felt that the field of PPSR is reaching a point of maturity and utility for science, education, and society. However, there was also an overarching thread of reflective and constructive questioning. One of the most notable concerns was how the field can become accepted by the professional scientific community and by policy makers, which have historically marginalized PPSR.
A call for the formation of a professional association for PPSR was affirmed at the conference. The association, as initially envisioned by the community, will serve many functions, such as facilitating communication, developing best practices and a code of ethics, providing professional development opportunities, and advocating for and helping to professionalize the field. In my talk, I will describe several of the steps being taken to create this multidisciplinary association and advance the field more broadly.

Broader Impacts:


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Related Links:
Results from the Conference on Public Participation in Scientific Research


1 - National Park Service, Schoodic Education and Research Center, Acadia National Park, PO Box 177, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA
2 - Schoodic Institute
3 - Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA

Keywords:
Citizen Science
public participation.

Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation
Session: SY01
Location: Jasperwood/Riverside Hilton
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2013
Time: 8:00 AM
Number: SY01001
Abstract ID:518
Candidate for Awards:None


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