Speaker
Description
Citizen science is an effective approach to engage the general public
in scientific research, leveraging the collective knowledge and
efforts to advance various research fields. As technology grows, the
integration of information and communication technology (ICT) with
citizen science create opportunities to expand participation, increase
public understanding of science, and strengthen local monitoring
networks. This study investigates the potential of ICT-supported
citizen science in Mongolia through a survey with university students.
Given the size of Mongolia and its small population, ICT-enabled
citizen science will be particularly valuable, allowing data to be
shared from remote and underpopulated areas.
The survey assessed students' familiarity with citizen science, their
use of ICTs, and their views on promoting citizen science, along with
the technological preference for citizen science applications. The
findings reveal that while awareness of citizen science is currently
low, proactive promotion via social media, university programs, and
public events is viewed favourably as a means to boost awareness.
Additionally, the study highlights the need for mobile-optimized
applications with both online and offline functionalities, to reduce
mobile data consumption and overcome sporadic Wi-Fi access. These
insights can serve as a basis for developing ICT-supported citizen
science initiatives in Mongolia that reflect local interests.
