Engaging citizen scientists has become a critical component of many research projects. Citizen scientists provide a valuable gateway to data, knowledge, capacity and time. In exchange, citizen scientists have the opportunity to learn, engage with new research, be active community members and contribute to the world around them. Through their engagement they often develop a sense of place and ownership. Engagement in citizen science can better equip citizen scientists with information on sustainability, can provide an understanding of the natural world or even foster a career in STEM. The popularity of citizen science has increased over the last decade and with this we have learned many lessons about effective engagement with citizen scientists and the ‘lay’ audience. Based on trial and error, researchers now have a toolkit that allows them to piece together a research project that will provide maximum return for both the researcher and the citizen scientist. This presentation will draw on a number of case studies including the Healthy Water for Healthy Lives, Plastic Gardens and others to present the toolkit for developing a successful citizen science campaign. We will explore the importance of a name, understanding the capacity of citizen scientists and the limitations of data collected in citizen science studies. This knowledge can be transferred across all disciplines and age groups. This presentation will share the successes and the areas of improvement that have been discovered while conducting multiple large scale citizen science projects.
