Recruiting, paying, and evaluating the experiences of civic scientists studying urban park usage during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This paper describes an attempt to utilize paid citizen science in a research project that documented urban park usage during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in two U.S. cities. Strategies used by the research team to recruit, pay, and evaluate the experiences of the 43 citizen scientists are discussed alongside key challenges in contemporary citizen science. A literature review suggests that successful citizen science projects foster diverse and inclusive participation; develop appropriate ways to compensate citizen scientists for their work; maximize opportunities for participant learning; and ensure high standards for data quality. In this case study, the selection process proved successful in employing economically vulnerable individuals, though the citizen scientist participants were disproportionately female, young, White, non-Hispanic, single, and college educated relative to the communities studied. The participants reported that the financial compensation provided by the study, similar in amount to the economic stimulus checks distributed simultaneously by the Federal government, were reasonable given the workload, and many used it to cover basic household needs. Though the study took place in a period of high economic risk, and more than 80% of the participants had never participated in a scientific study, the experience was rated overwhelmingly positive. Participants reported that the work provided stress relief, indicated they would consider participating in similar research in the future. Despite the vast majority never having engaged in most park stewardship activities, they expressed interest in learning more about park usage, mask usage in public spaces, and socio-economic trends in relation to COVID-19. Though there were some minor challenges in data collection, data quality was sufficient to publish the topical results in a peer-reviewed companion paper. Key insights on the logistical constraints faced by the research team are highlighted throughout the paper to advance the case for paid citizen science.

Harnessing citizen science in health promotion: perspectives of policy and practice stakeholders in Australia

“…Some argue that financial remuneration of citizen scientists is inappropriate because it could compromise intrinsic motivation to participate. Others contend that non-payment is exploitative, and that appropriate payment values the contributions of citizen scientists, addresses barriers for participation among underserved groups, sustains engagement and improves the quality of data obtained ( Resnik et al , 2015 ; Alizadehtazi et al , 2022 ). Smith et al argue that financial compensation may not be feasible or appropriate for all projects, and that contributions of citizen scientists can be valued through other mechanisms, such as building the knowledge and capacity of citizen scientists, recognition of academic contributions through co-authorship of publications and invitations to speak at conferences ( Smith et al , 2019 ).…”

Change of urban park usage as a response to the COVID-19 global pandemic

“…[10][11][12] . With the many challenges imposed by the pandemic, which included dramatically reduced recreational opportunities as well as widespread concerns about personal and public health, urban parks, which were one of the few places that urban dwellers were allowed to visit outside their homes, became important destinations.In order to understand the role of parks during the COVID-19 pandemic, a variety of data and methods have been used by researchers to conduct relevant studies: including carrying out field surveys 10,13,14 , recruiting civic scientists to make observations 15,16 , collecting geotagged data from social media [17][18][19][20] , and acquiring data from recreational tracking apps 21 . Decreased visits to urban greenspaces in central London was reported 20 , which could be attributed with working from home restrictions; similarly, in a study conducted in multiple cities across North Carolina, 56% of survey respondents indicated that they had ceased or reduced their use of parks, with geotracked park visits dropping by 15% 14 .…”