Motivations and Barriers to Participation in Citizen Science: The Case Study of the Hong Kong Jellyfish Project

Abstract

Citizen science projects are designed to encourage involvement of the public with science. Understanding demographics of participants and factors that motivate or create barriers to participation are central in ensuring citizen science is effective. Citizen science is not new to Asia, but its implementation is underrepresented in the published literature of that geographic area, with the current focus largely on Western countries. Here, we consider the experience of citizen scientists participating in the Hong Kong Jellyfish Project. Survey responses (N = 87) indicate demographics similar to other citizen science programs, with participant gender reflective of the general population, and participants typically in full-time employment and highly educated. The main motivating factors for participation were: the project had meaningful goals, and participants wanted to contribute to science and to learn more about jellyfish. The main barriers to participation were: not being aware that absence of jellyfish was a valid observation, lack of knowledge, and lack of time. Notably, survey responses indicate inclusive bilingual communication made the project more appealing to respondents, improved participation, and increased motivation. Interestingly, these results indicate demographic traits, motivating factors, and barriers to participation of citizen scientists in Hong Kong are similar to elsewhere, and further research should be conducted to see if the same patterns persist across other cultural contexts. Where recognized, these motivational factors and barriers can inform the design of citizen science projects to more effectively attract and engage participants.

Effective Engagement While Scaling Up: Lessons from a Citizen Science Program Transitioning from Single- to Multi-Region Scale

“…One study found that, after making online user registration optional, participants who were registered submitted proportionally more reports than previously (Smith et al 2021). Other factors, such as time and knowledge, have been reported as barriers to participation (Terenzini, Safaya, and Falkenberg 2023). For our project, we concluded that user-facing technologies are a priority area of focus through the scaling process, as recurring glitches or technologies that are not user-friendly pose barriers to participation.…”

“…This paper reports on a mixed methods approach to evaluating the ways in which our engagement strategy was effective in meeting project goals while geographically scaling up from one to four regions across the US. By focusing on the scaling (or growth) phase, which can be pivotal in shaping projects' success, this study adds to the growing body of work using mixed methods to examine the effectiveness of engagement strategies for CCS (e.g., Davis, Ramírez-Andreotta, and Buxner 2020;De Moor, Rijpma, and Prats López 2019;Terenzini, Safaya, and Falkenberg 2023).…”

“…Effective engagement is central to participation in community and citizen science (CCS) projects (e.g., Buytaert et al 2014;De Moor, Rijpma, and Prats López 2019;Golumbic, Baram-Tsabari, and Fishbain 2020;Haklay et al 2021;Shirk et al 2012;Stankiewicz et al 2023;Terenzini, Safaya, and Falkenberg 2023). While these and other studies have explored best practices for engagement in CCS, there is little literature on how to effectively engage participants when expanding a project to include new geographic regions.…”

Jellyfish in Hong Kong: a citizen science dataset

“…However, citizen scientists have been found to have datasets of similar quality to professional scientists when provided with a suitable framework and robust data verification practices [ 14 ] . Members of the public are sometimes unsure about engaging with scientific research because of the amount of time required and a lack of knowledge [ 15 ] ; however, by providing variable levels of participation, educational opportunities, and an understanding of the benefits of the project, citizen scientists can be encouraged to greater levels of participation [ 16 ] . Overall, with suitable best practices in place when designing and executing citizen science projects, the benefits of engaging citizen scientists in marine research far outweigh the potential challenges [ 17 ] .…”