2. The State of the ArtLiterature Review

Historically, Since the 1980s, a large substantial body of scholarship has been looked at examined citizen science and its effect influence on public engagement with scientific research, starting as early as the 1980s. There are some Numerous studies that examined have investigated how volunteer -collected data collection helps contributes to scientific knowledge while at the same time simultaneously increasing enhancing environmental awareness about the environment, and basic scientificce literacy. Examples include: the Audoubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count, starting initiated in 1900, and the “Zooniverse” platform, which by 2019, had engaged more than 1.5+ million users were participating in various projects, showing that . These cases illustrate that participation isn’t not only informative but is also a collective activity that connectsing people individuals to bigger broader scientific and social networks.¹

Other researchers has also have looked at explored the organizational and technical side dimensions of citizen science, focusing on how project design, and data quality practicesprotocols, and digital platforms can shape both participation and outcomes. Studies by Bonney and Dickinsson (2009, 2016) stress highlight the diversity of contributor’s diversity and the influence of education, income, age, and motivation on how people participatepatterns of participation.² This work shows confirms that citizen science is never not a uniform practice;-- rather, participation covers a mix spans a range of ages, backgrounds, and skill levels, producing creating complex networks that support scientificce and community development.

This dissertation’s analysis is based builds on this literature. by conceptualizing Vvolunteer participation is as more than just data collection--. cCitizen science is a can be understood as a place for co-producing knowledge, fostering collaborative learning, and encouraging civic engagement, where as participants contribute to scientificce research while negotiating personal and social identities. By examining these kinds of dynamics, the research this study aims to show demonstrate how citizen science both reflects and shapes patterns of public engagement practices with science in the 2010’s and 2020’s.³

¹ Audubon Society, Christmas Bird Count Annual Report, 2015, 12-–19, https://www.audubon.orgcom/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count; Zooniverse, Zooniverse Participation Statistics, 20119, 3-6, https://www.zooniverse.org/statistics.

² Bonney, Rick, et. al., “Citizen Science: A Developing Tool for Expanding Science Knowledge and Scientific Literacy,” BioScience 59, #no. 11 (2009). 977-–984, https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2009.59.11.9.; Dickinson, Janis lL., and R.ick Bonney, Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2016), 22-–45)., participation patterns in different context.