ABSTRACT
This paper introduces the Zooniverse citizen science project and software framework, outlining its structure from an observatory perspective: both as an observable web-based system in itself, and as an example of a platform iteratively developed according to real-world deployment and used at scale. We include details of the technical architecture of Zooniverse, including the mechanisms for data gathering across the Zooniverse operation, access, and analysis. We consider the lessons that can be drawn from the experience of designing and running Zooniverse, and how this might inform development of other web observatories.
- I. Brown, W. Hall, and L. Harris. Design and prototyping of a social media observatory. In Proceedings of the 1st International Web Observatory Workshop, 22nd International Conference on World Wide Web companion, pages 1317--1320. International World Wide Web Conference, 2013. Google ScholarDigital Library
- D. A. Fischer, M. E. Schwamb, K. Schawinski, C. Lintott, J. Brewer, M. Giguere, S. Lynn, M. Parrish, T. Sartori, R. Simpson, et al. Planet hunters: the first two planet candidates identified by the public using the kepler public archive data. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 419(4):2900--2911, 2012.Google ScholarCross Ref
- L. Fortson, K. Masters, R. Nichol, K. D. Borne, E. M Edmondson, C. Lintott, J. Raddick, K. Schawinski, and J. Wallin. Galaxy zoo: Morphological classification and citizen science. Advances in Machine Learning and Data Mining for Astronomy, pages 213--236, 2012.Google ScholarCross Ref
- C. Lintott, K. Schawinski, S. Bamford, A. Slosar, K. Land, D. Thomas, et al. Galaxy zoo 1: data release of morphological classifications for nearly 900 000 galaxies. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 410(1):166--178, 2011.Google ScholarCross Ref
- K. McKelvey and F. Menczer. Design and prototyping of a social media observatory. In Proceedings of the 1st International Web Observatory Workshop, 22nd International Conference on World Wide Web companion, pages 1351--1358. International World Wide Web Conference, 2013. Google ScholarDigital Library
- K. Page and D. De Roure. Trajectories through social machines. In Proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on Building Web Observatories at ACM Web Science.Google Scholar
- M. E. Schwamb, J. A. Orosz, J. A. Carter, W. F. Welsh, D. A. Fischer, G. Torres, et al. Planet hunters: A transiting circumbinary planet in a quadruple star system. The Astrophysical Journal, 768(2):127, 2013.Google ScholarCross Ref
- R. J. Simpson, M. S. Povich, S. Kendrew, C. J. Lintott, E. Bressert, K. Arvidsson, et al. The milky way project first data release: a bubblier galactic disc. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 424(4):2442--2460, 2012.Google ScholarCross Ref
Index Terms
- Zooniverse: observing the world's largest citizen science platform
Recommendations
Crowdsourcing science: organizing virtual participation in knowledge production
GROUP '10: Proceedings of the 2010 ACM International Conference on Supporting Group WorkCitizen science is a form of research collaboration that involves the public in scientific research to address real-world problems. Virtual citizen science projects, entirely mediated by information and communication technologies (ICTs), are often ...
Tutorial Designs and Task Types in Zooniverse
CSCW '18 Companion: Companion of the 2018 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social ComputingPrior CSCW research has paid little attention to training for crowdsourcing project participants, which can require more than simple instructions. We examined the design of tutorials on the Zooniverse citizen science platform and identified aspects of ...
Toward a Typology of Participation in Crowdwork
CSCW '16 Companion: Proceedings of the 19th ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing CompanionThere are new potentials for transformative developments in government, work life, science, and emergency response as the use of participatory and social media has become widespread in society and enabled a more collaborative information production. ...
Comments