Malka Niknamfard
Pretty much everyone who comes across a scientific breakthrough or achievement (including myself) automatically assumes that the theory or idea has been experimented on or tested by a group of trained scientists who are proficient and qualified to do the job- whether it be testing the effects of a new medicine or discovering something new in nature. In this sense, most people trust that the research conducted, whatever it may be, is valid and certified by a trained professional. However, the article Citizen Science: Can Volunteers Do Real Research? by Jeffrey P. Cohn gives insight into something that has never really been considered by most people- the idea that ordinary volunteers contribute to the collection of scientific data.
When I first read this article, I could not help but ask myself how it is possible that amateurs who are not trained in a certain scientific field are capable of producing reliable results of data when it comes to scientific experimentation. After all, are we really expected to trust someone who has no knowledge in the science field to accurately relay data?
However, after further reading the article and learning that scientists prepare certain protocols specifically for citizen scientists and even often accompany these volunteers during their research, I came to appreciate the importance and the practicality of engaging ordinary people in experiments that can potentially spark interests in science. David Ucko, deputy director of the NSF’s division for research in learning even said that “Our objective is to increase public awareness of and participation in science… we are more interested in the educational values than the research results.” By being involved in the scientific world through hands-on exploration and research projects, more people get out into the world and learn to appreciate science and nature. Moreover, people who volunteer take pride in the work they are doing and feel as though they too are capable of contributing to the scientific community.
The idea of promoting ‘Citizen Scientists’ is truly a great way to get volunteers involved in what is going on in the scientific world, and it does a great job of engaging people and garnering people’s interests in things that they would otherwise solely be exposed to via an academic lecture or humdrum textbook.
