CITIZEN SCIENCE
PlatForms
Citizen science platforms are online tools or websites that facilitate the involvement of individuals in scientific research and data collection. These platforms provide a space for citizen scientists to contribute observations, share data, collaborate with researchers, and participate in various projects. They often offer features such as data entry forms, species identification tools, community forums, and data visualisation tools, making it easier for participants to engage in meaningful scientific endeavours and contribute to broader scientific knowledge.
01.
iNaturalist
iNaturalist is more than just a nature app, it’s a vibrant online community and citizen science platform rolled into one. Imagine having a giant, interactive field guide at your fingertips, where you can snap a picture of any plant, animal, or fungi, and get help identifying it from a global network of naturalists and scientists. But it doesn’t stop there! You can record detailed observations,
connect with like-minded nature enthusiasts, join projects to track specific species, and even contribute valuable data to real scientific research.
Year of initiation: 2008
Participation through : Website, Mobile application
02.
eBIRD
eBird is a project of the Cornell lab of ornithology co-founded by the Audubon society. ‘Bird count India’ handles the India specific platform. eBird doesn’t lets you create your own projects, You can contribute to their projects such as the Great backyard bird count, Bird atlas etc. or just submit your observations on your own. The collected data can be accessed publicly.
Year of initiation: 2002
Participation through : Website, Mobile application
03.
India Biodiversity Portal
India Biodiversity Portal aims to collect and provide open access information on Indian biodiversity. The portal intends to build high-quality map-based multimedia information sources.
Year of Initiation – 2008
Project Coordinator – Prabhakar Rajagopal
04.
Biodiversity Atlas
India – This natural history web platform provides species-based data on biodiversity. The data you contribute will be peer-reviewed by professional biologists. This website mostly provides natural history data which drives educational and outreach programmes.
Year of initiation – 2017
Project Coordinator – Prof. Krushnamegh Kunte
Citizen participation through – Website
Platforms such as Biodiversity atlas, eBird etc. doesn’t let you create your own project, instead these act as a project itself. We can contribute biodiversity data to these projects, also anyone can download the desired data. These platforms/projects store their own recordings and act as a repository also. So it’s hard to differentiate these platforms based on their purpose as platforms, projects or repositories.