Citizen Science Case Studies

The case studies below demonstrate the data journey for specific marine citizen science projects, covering their planning, collection, processing, preservation, sharing and reuse.

PlanPlanning section of Guidance

Shoresearch

Shoresearch is a long running project that has evolved over a long period. In 2003 Kent Wildlife Trust realised that there was a lack of baseline information around their shores and a lot of volunteers that would be willing to help. Click on the icons below to find out more about the main considerations made when planning the project:

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Tools & protocols

Methods were developed and standardised more so in 2019 when it was realised that methodologies differed between the south and north of the country. For example, Shoresearch groups in the north found that the methodology was not always applicable to the types of surveys they were undertaking or the species found in the south where Shoresearch originally evolved. They then set methodology and started using set recording forms and resources. A national data portal was developed to centralise data collection and it has continued to be developed from there. They have also launched a Shoresearch mobile app which removes the need for paper forms.

Licensing & permissions

Shoresearch plan to make their data more openly accessible but currently available data are under the CC-BY license.

Verification & quality control

There is a Data Management Plan which states that Shoresearch use verifiers from iRecord and that the data is to be shared with the NBN. Verification is initially carried out during the survey by experienced staff within the Shoresearch team and again by iRecord at a later stage. The data range is also checked during the QA process.

Processing

Data are collected and standardised using the Shoresearch app and/or uploaded to their data portal before archiving in a database at the the BRC. A verification and quality control process take place and the species are aligned with the UK Species Inventory.

Sharing

Results summaries are shared with the public after events using various methods, data are shared upon request, statutory agencies are provided with reports summarising data and data are available online, verified data flows onto the NBN.

[Shoresearch plan image] — Gala Podgonik, Ulster Wildlife

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