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Enhancing Citizen Science: Building a Web-Based Platform for Optimizing the Area-of-Interest Data Collection Process
Country:United States of America
Student(s):Yuvraj Lakhotia, Abdullahi Adeboye, Ryan Parsaee, Grace Valdez, Jeff Cheong, Benjamin Herschman
Grade Level:Secondary School (grades 9-12, ages 14-18)
GLOBE Teacher:Cassie Soeffing
Contributors:Dr. Russanne Low, SME, IGES. Peder Nelson, SME, OSU. Andrew Clark, SME, IGES. Dr. Erika Podest, SME, NASA JPL, AJ Caesar, peer mentor.
Report Type(s):International Virtual Science Symposium Report, Mission Mosquito Report
Protocols:Land Cover Classification, Earth As a System, Mosquitoes
Presentation Video:
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Presentation Poster:
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Optional Badges:I am a Problem Solver, I am a Data Scientist, I make an Impact
Language(s):English
Date Submitted:01/17/2024
Citizen science has emerged as a pivotal approach in expanding the horizons of scientific
research on a global scale. A current study exemplifies the involvement of citizen scientists who
create a virtual 3-kilometer by 3-kilometer grid, termed an Area of Interest (AOI), in their local
surroundings. Within these AOIs, 37 evenly-spaced land cover observation points are generated
using an external tool and conducted using the NASA-funded GLOBE Observer mobile app.
However, participants have highlighted the inconvenience of navigating to the designated points
within the AOI grid, posing challenges to their active engagement in the study. To address these
concerns, we propose the development of an integrated web application that offers visualizations
of the AOI points, ensures accessibility to each point, and facilitates seamless navigation to the
locations in real-time. This project aims to present a comprehensive system that graphically plots
a user’s AOI points on an interactive map, leveraging the centroid location, empowering them to
effortlessly complete the necessary observations at each point and keep track of these
observations. By streamlining the AOI setup process and enhancing user experience, we envision
broadening the accessibility of AOI observations and citizen science data to the wider public.
The project will employ cross-platform frameworks, namely ASP .NET Core integrated with
TypeScript and PostgreSQL, to expedite the development and deployment of the app on
web-based systems. Validation and fine-tuning of the app's design will be conducted using
previously-established AOI grids. The potential impact of this application encompasses
enhanced user satisfaction, increased AOI creation rates, and reduced AOI setup and navigation
times. These improvements can significantly contribute to the success of citizen science
initiatives, fostering meaningful participation and high-quality data contributions from the
open-science community.
Keywords: citizen science, accessibility, NASA, GLOBE, area-of-interest, web, application