Resource Library
Welcome to the Resource Library! Here you will find all the resources included in this toolkit and you can browse through them by category. These resources are also placed within the relevant process steps within the “How To” section of the toolkit.
Disclaimer: This toolkit provides external links to resources as a convenience to users. The appearance of the links in the toolkit does not constitute endorsement by the federal government of the linked websites or of the information, products or services contained in them.
What is Citizen Science?
- Citizen Science (Scientific American)
- Co-Founder of Innocentive Speaks on Challenge Authoring (GovLab Video)
- Public Participation in Scientific Research (Workshop, PDF)
- What Is Iterative Development? (IBM, PDF)
How can I use Citizen Science?
- Choosing the Right Question for Crowdsourcing (Nature Magazine)
- Citizen Science Central: Resources for Projects (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
- Citizen Science Central: Toolkit Conference (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
- Designing a Social Change Project (GovLab Academy)
- Guide to Citizen Science (UK Environmental Observation Framework, PDF)
- Most Participants in Citizen Science Give Up (ARS Technica)
- Public Participation in Scientific Research (Workshop, PDF)
Examples of Citizen Science and Crowdsourcing
Web-based Projects
- EyeWire: A Game to Map the Brain
- Galaxy Zoo: A Crowdsourced Astronomy Project
- ISEE-3 Reboot Project: Crowdsourcing Spacecraft Data (RocketHub)
- Patients Like Me: A Healthcare Advocacy Project
Community-based Projects
- Community Project, Air Quality Monitoring: Newark, New Jersey (EPA Video)
- Community Project, Air Quality Monitoring: South Bronx, New York (EPA Video)
- Community Project, Air Quality Monitoring: Tonawanda, New York (EPA Video)
Field-based Projects
- Crowdsourcing and Government: Case Studies
- HHS Uses Crowdsourcing in Booming mHealth Industry (DigitalGov)
- Neighborhood Nestwatch (Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center)
- School of Ants: Project for School Children
Serious Games
- EyeWire: A Game to Map the Brain
- FoldIt: A Game to Solve Puzzles for Science
- Gaming for (Citizen) Science (IEEE eScience Conference)
- Old Weather: Transcribing Ship Logs for Climate Modeling
Funding
- Experiment.com
- Foundation Directory (Foundation Center)
- Guide to Online Fundraising Campaigns and Crowdfunding Platforms
- Kickstarter: A Global Crowdfunding Platform
- National Science Foundation Funding and Awards
Project Inventories
- Citizen Science Projects (Scientific American)
- CitSci.Org: Resources for Citizen Science project managers
- SciStarter: Project Finder for Citizen Scientists
- Wilson Center Commons Lab: Federal Projects Inventory
- Zooniverse: A Citizen Science Web Platform
Implementation of Federal Prize and Citizen Science Authority Reports
The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (COMPETES) and the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (AICA) require the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to produce a biennial report to Congress on the activities carried out under these authorities. This report highlights how government agencies use prize competitions and challenges (PC&Cs) and crowdsourcing and citizen science (CCS) activities to engage with members of the public to innovate, drive scientific discovery, and solve important problems. Reporting on related activities conducted under other authorities is voluntary and also included.