After a recent count, NASA Citizen Science is proud to report that more than 650 people who have volunteered to participate in NASA citizen science projects have co-authored peer-reviewed research papers with scientists on those project teams. These volunteers made incredible contributions like:<\/p>\n
And all of them saw their passion and dedication translated into lasting contributions to the scientific literature that will inform generations of researchers to come.<\/p>\n
Explore these frequently asked questions and discover how you, too, can be a part of scientific discovery and become a co-author.<\/p>\n
Why do peer-reviewed research papers matter?<\/strong><\/p>\n When scientists make a discovery, they write up the details of their research and its results in a manuscript and submit it to a scientific journal. The journal\u2019s editors subject the manuscript to the \u2018peer-review\u2019 process, in which they invite other scientists to verify and validate the methods used and the novelty and importance of the results. Peer-reviewed research papers are the primary way scientists document what they discover or learn and share it with each other and the world. Once a paper passes the peer-review process, it is published where other scientists can read it, criticize it, and build on it.<\/p>\n Contributing to published scientific literature is an important and celebrated part of a scientific career \u2013 for PhD scientists and citizen scientists alike. A list of published papers is the core of any scientist\u2019s resume, and any budding scientist\u2019s first publication is widely considered a milestone worth celebrating. Three cheers for each and every one of the 650 published citizen science project volunteers!<\/p>\n How can I get involved in writing a scientific paper through NASA citizen science?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Sometimes, volunteers get lucky \u2013 they\u2019re simply notified by the project science team that their contributions have made it into a scientific paper. However, if you are determined to become a published author, it helps to choose your project carefully and then to take initiative.<\/p>\n First, find a project that interests you. In the words of citizen scientist Michael Primm<\/a>, \u201cpick one or more [projects that] appeal to you, and try them out for size. If you don\u2019t like them, try other ones.\u201d Once you have a project you like, do the task frequently enough to get comfortable and confident. Read all the project material you can, including any frequently asked questions and blog posts the team may have written. Many of the extraordinary breakthroughs in these projects come from participants noticing patterns in the data that are unusual \u2013 you can\u2019t do this unless you\u2019ve developed a good sense of what\u2019s \u201cnormal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFind a project where you can communicate directly with the scientists involved,\u201d said Marc Kuchner, citizen science officer, NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cThat way, you can get the coaching and mentorship you need to learn the paper-writing process.\u201d A good place to start is with the projects listed on the publications by NASA citizen scientists webpage<\/a>, since these projects have track records of involving volunteers in papers.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAfter you\u2019ve followed the instructions and participated in a project, it\u2019s all about asking questions!\u201d said Kuchner. \u201cAsk other participants first, and read the project\u2019s FAQ and Research pages. Dig into scientific journal articles, if you can. Before long, you\u2019ll find yourself with a novel and meaningful question nobody knows the answer to. Then you\u2019ll have an excellent reason to start a conversation with the science team.\u201d<\/p>\n Second, look for ways to interact with project scientists and teams and stay informed and involved. Many NASA citizen science project teams have regular calls or meetings with participants. They also sometimes give participants the option to sign up for an email list, through which they share additional opportunities to interact with the scientists leading the projects.<\/p>\n “Don\u2019t be afraid to ask for help, either from your fellow citizen scientists or even the pros of the project you’re working on,” said citizen scientist Les Hamlet<\/a>, co-author of three papers and counting.\u00a0<\/p>\n NASA partner SciStarter also hosts a series of Do NASA Science Live virtual events, which offer another way to meet scientists. These virtual events, held roughly once a month, feature experts from NASA citizen science projects who are eager to interact with volunteers. You can see the schedule and sign up here<\/a> for the next Do NASA Science Live event.<\/p>\n Many projects have virtual bulletin boards, like the \u201cTALK\u201d boards<\/a> of Zooniverse-hosted projects, which can facilitate discussions with the science team. Or you can reach out by email to the science team by looking them up on the project\u2019s team page. Just remember these science teams are busy, so do your homework first by reading all the project materials before you reach out.<\/p>\n NASA volunteer Michiharu Hyogo offered some tips<\/a> to help others get started on the journey toward becoming a published author. There are also numerous online resources<\/a> and guides<\/a> for anyone new to writing scientific papers.<\/p>\n What if I\u2019m still a student? Can I get involved in writing a paper?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, the same advice above applies to students. There\u2019s no better way to explore whether or not you\u2019d like to pursue a career in science or a new scientific field of study than to do the work of a scientist and get involved in the process of publishing your findings. If you become a published co-author, you\u2019ll also have the added advantage of listing your publication on your resume for internship, undergraduate, or graduate school applications. Several high school students and many undergraduate or graduate students have written papers with NASA citizen science project teams, including Matteo Kimura<\/a>, Emily Burns-Kaurin<\/a>, Darcy Wenn<\/a>, and Michaela B. Allen<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ride the rollercoaster!<\/strong><\/p>\n Science can be unpredictable, which can make writing papers feel like a roller-coaster ride at times. \u201cDon’t give up if your first try was not successful,\u201d said published citizen scientist Michael Hunnekuhl<\/a>. Most projects take years to produce results. Sometimes, nature doesn\u2019t cooperate, and a science team must change directions instead of writing the paper they initially imagined. But with 42 citizen science projects online, NASA has plenty of room for your science ambitions. Go to https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/citizen-science\/<\/a>, pick a project, and start your science journey today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After a recent count, NASA Citizen Science is proud to report that more than 650 people who have…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":940461,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3844],"tags":[151552,70,5635,413,16,2970,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-940460","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-space","8":"tag-citizen-science","9":"tag-science","10":"tag-science-research","11":"tag-space","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-uncategorized","14":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116524930513184214","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/940460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=940460"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/940460\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/940461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=940460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=940460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=940460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}