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CHI
2009
ACM

Pathfinder: an online collaboration environment for citizen scientists

13 years 10 months ago
Pathfinder: an online collaboration environment for citizen scientists
For over a century, citizen scientists have volunteered to collect huge quantities of data for professional scientists to analyze. We designed Pathfinder, an online environment that challenges this traditional division of labor by providing tools for citizen scientists to collaboratively discuss and analyze the data they collect. We evaluated Pathfinder in a sustainability and commuting context using a mixed methods approach in both naturalistic and experimental settings. Our results showed that citizen scientists preferred Pathfinder to a standard wiki and were able to go beyond data collection and engage in deeper discussion and analyses. We also found that citizen scientists require special types of technological support because they generate original research. This paper offers an early example of the mutually beneficial relationship between HCI and citizen science. Author Keywords Citizen science, online collaboration, online communities, social computing, social data analysis, s...
Kurt Luther, Scott Counts, Kristin B. Stecher, Aar
Added 19 May 2010
Updated 19 May 2010
Type Conference
Year 2009
Where CHI
Authors Kurt Luther, Scott Counts, Kristin B. Stecher, Aaron Hoff, Paul Johns
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