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Leveraging Transmedia Communication Strategies to Improve Engagement and Foster Collaboration in Citizen-Science Projects

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dc.contributor.authorZoll, Charmian L.
dc.date.accessioned2017-10-03T18:51:48Z
dc.date.available2017-10-03T18:51:48Z
dc.date.issued2017
dc.descriptionThe Independent Studies program closed in 2016. This thesis was one of 25 accepted by Library for long-term preservation and presentation in UWSpace.en
dc.description.abstractCitizen science is the term used for the practice of harnessing non-expert, volunteer efforts to further scientific research using a crowdsourcing approach to collect, record, and analyze data and to fulfill other task work related to research. Maintaining enough interest and motivation to sustain participant engagement and involvement presents a challenge for project organizers. Current research indicates that a large percentage of participants contribute enthusiastically to citizen-science projects for a short period of time, only to lose interest, disengage from the project, and stop contributing. However, communication strategies can counteract some volunteer attrition by continually underscoring the importance and value of their contributions, and by raising a project's profile to keep it top-of-mind, relevant, and interesting to participants. This thesis explores how citizen-science projects could apply or adapt transmedia storytelling, communication and engagement techniques - particularly in a context similar to documentary filmmaking - in order to reward contributors with a positive, integrated media experience to bolster engagement with the subject matters and the goals of long-term research projects. It will examine the history of public participation in science, the history of modern participatory culture, and how new media strategies can by applied toward a top-down, novice-level, biological - and environmental - monitoring project (the most abundant type of project in citizen science.)en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10012/12525
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherUniversity of Waterlooen
dc.relation.ispartofseriesIS 410, Honours Thesis Phase Ien
dc.relation.ispartofseriesIS 420, Honours Thesis Phase IIen
dc.subjectcitizen scienceen
dc.subjectparticipatory cultureen
dc.subjectpublic participation in scientific researchen
dc.subjecttransmedia communicationen
dc.subjectcivic engagement in scienceen
dc.subjectengagement strategiesen
dc.titleLeveraging Transmedia Communication Strategies to Improve Engagement and Foster Collaboration in Citizen-Science Projectsen
dc.typeBachelor Thesisen
uws-etd.degreeBachelor of Independent Studiesen
uws-etd.degree.departmentIndependent Studiesen
uws-etd.degree.disciplineIndependent Studiesen
uws.contributor.advisorHutchinson, Devon
uws.contributor.affiliation1Faculty of Artsen
uws.peerReviewStatusUnrevieweden
uws.published.cityWaterlooen
uws.published.countryCanadaen
uws.published.provinceOntarioen
uws.scholarLevelUndergraduateen
uws.typeOfResourceTexten

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