Crowd science user contribution patterns and their implications.

ABSTRACT: Scientific research performed with the involvement of the broader public (the crowd) attracts increasing attention from scientists and policy makers. A key premise is that project organizers may be able to draw on underused human resources to advance research at relatively low cost. Despite a growing number of examples, systematic research on the effort contributions volunteers are willing to make to crowd science projects is lacking. Analyzing data on seven different projects, we quantify the financial value volunteers can bring by comparing their unpaid contributions with counterfactual costs in traditional or online labor markets. The volume of total contributions is substantial, although some projects are much more successful in attracting effort than others. Moreover, contributions re

SUBMITTER: Sauermann H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4311847 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature