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“I can hardly imagine initiating a citizen-science project without first reading this book!”—from the foreword by Reed F. Noss, President, Florida Institute for Conservation Science
“No longer the new kid on the block, citizen science is now a critical form of scientific research—and this is its first guide for practitioners. From planning to executing to evaluating citizen science research, the range of useful material in this book is astounding.”—Allen Fish, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
About the author
Christopher A. Lepczyk is Professor in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University.
Owen D. Boyle is Chief of Species Management for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Natural Heritage Conservation Program.
Timothy L. V. Vargo is Manager of Research and Community Science at the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Summary
Handbook of Citizen Science in Ecology and Conservation is the first practical and comprehensive manual for creating, implementing, or improving natural science research and monitoring projects that involve collaboration between scientists and the general public. As citizen science projects become increasingly common, project leaders are seeking information on concrete best practices for planning and implementing projects—practices that allow them to guide and gauge success while also ensuring the collection of high-quality data and rewarding experiences for volunteers. In this handbook, citizen science practitioners from around the world and with decades of experience provide step-by-step instructions, insights, and advice, and they explore real-world applications through case studies from a variety of citizen science projects. This is the definitive reference guide for anyone interested in starting or improving a citizen science project with ecological or conservation applications, from professors and graduate students to agency staff and nongovernmental organizations.
Additional text
"This is not a volume about specific ecological research methods, but rather about the strengths and challenges inherent to launching a project that incorporates data contributions of nonspecialists. It is useful as a guide and handbook, and I highly recommend it for practical use."
