Improving citizen science through collaborative research partnerships between social scientists and environmental practitioners

Citizen science is increasingly credited for promoting scientific literacy and having the potential to empower and engage local people in conservation. However, rigorous evaluation of citizen science outcomes is limited, particularly those related to social capital and environmental stewardship. Social science can help to address this gap as it can identify barriers that hinder the success of citizen science programs and drivers that promote positive outcomes, such as social norms, community engagement, and effective communication strategies. However, little has been written about how academic partners in social science fields can engage with citizen science practitioners. In this paper we describe seven design components essential to the success of a long-term research collaboration between academic social scientists and staff of Billion Oyster Project (BOP), a nonprofit environmental organization whose mission is to restore oyster reefs to New York Harbor through citizen science, restoration, and public education initiatives. We describe how over an eight-year period, social science methodologies and findings were used to inform BOP’s environmental citizen science and volunteer programing and management. We argue that collaborative research is essential for the advancement of our field, and that action-driven research partnerships should become a key component of effective citizen science programs.