Accessing the Accuracy of Citizen Science Data Based on iNaturalist Data

The number of science projects with citizen (volunteer) participants is increasing nowadays. Despite some advantages citizen science have which directly influence science fields, the largest weakness of citizen science is the issue of the reliability of data collected by non-specialists. In this study, we assess the reliability of data collected by citizens and identify the factors that impede the credibility. We selected two species, Pelophylax chosenicus and Dryophytes suweonensis, which have specific habitat, breeding and brumation positions. The location data for both species were collected by the global citizen engagement project iNaturalist. As a result, 89.3% for P. chosenicus and 37.1% for D. suweonensis of the location data were estimated to be erroneous. No difference was observed in the data accuracy between experts and citizens for D. suweonensis because the mating call is the main classification key for the species. On the other hand, a significant difference was confirmed in the case of P. chosenicus, whose external characteristics are its classification key. Our study shows that efforts to improve reliability, including appropriate species selection and survey methods, are necessary to use citizen participation data in science research.

Automated summary

The number of science projects with citizen participants is increasing, but the reliability of data collected by non-specialists remains a concern. This study assesses the reliability of citizen-collected data and identifies factors that affect its credibility. The findings emphasize the need for efforts to improve reliability when using citizen participation data in scientific research.