Supporting Global Citizen Science with a Mixed Media Informatics Framework

Operationalizing citizen science requires leveraging the full multiplicity of tools and information pathways accessible to the international community. In some cases this means smartphone applications, but in others it means... [ view full abstract ]

Operationalizing citizen science requires leveraging the full multiplicity of tools and information pathways accessible to the international community. In some cases this means smartphone applications, but in others it means 90’s-era text messaging, or even simple pen and paper. Evidence for a mixed-media approach to reporting meteorological and hydrologic measurements can been seen in areas across the world, especially in rural and impoverished communities without access to government resources or standard technologies. This project describes an on-going effort in the Peruvian Andes, where site-specific limitations on access to networks and technology prevent the development of a general approach for data capture and transmission. We describe the process of developing a framework for modular informatics infrastructure designed specifically to cater to a broad array of data sources and formats. At the heart of the system is an ordinary email account that serves as a staging area for incoming data from a variety of sources, such as text messages, smartphone applications, and internet forms. The software superstructure validates, sorts and imports email contents and registers meta-data into a formal database. The database can then be used to support a variety of data-relevant presentation modes, including standardized web services such as CUAHSI WaterOneFlow.