Occurrence dataset Registered November 01, 2017
A crowdsourcing approach to collecting photo-based insect and plant observation records
Description
Background: Scientific field observation by members of the public is known as citizen science and has become popular all across the world. Citizen science is advantageous for collecting large amounts of scientific data and can be seen as a crowdsourcing approach to data collection. Information and communications technology is enhancing the availability of citizen science. Mobile devices, such as mobile phones, that have a digital camera with a global positioning system (GPS) are necessities of contemporary life and can be utilized as powerful observation tools in citizen science.
New information:
We developed a web-based system as a data collection tool for citizen science. Participants submit an e-mail with a photo taken by their mobile phones. The photos contain location information, which can be easily and automatically embedded if the mobile phone is equipped with GPS. We collaborated with regional event managers, such as museum curators, and held citizen science events in each region and for various target taxonomic groups. All photos were stored in our data server, and the organisms were taxonomically identified by citizen scientists, regional managers, and us. In total, 154 species and 843 data records were collected in this project conducted from 2011 to 2016.
Geographic scope
- Description
The collection sites of the data provided here are distributed across Japan, from Hokkaido to the southern islands. A few foreign records are also included.
- Latitude
- From 29.993 to 45.337
- Longitude
- From 129.199 to 147.48
Temporal scope
- range
- June 01, 2011 - October 01, 2016
Taxonomic scope
- Description
With regard to taxonomy and systematics, all species were identified by the regional managers and authors according to the morphotypes of objects. If we could not obtain sufficient information for proper species identification, i.e. the species which is difficult to identify, we did not include that record in this data paper. As a result, we have provided 843 records of 154 species. Thus, these species were ordinary which can identify easily based on photo.
- Coverage
- Plantae/Animalia
Methodology
- Sampling
We developed a web-based system to collect photos taken by citizen scientists. The system is a customized version of the commercial mobile photo system developed by Fujitsu FIP, Co. (http://www.fujitsu.com/jp/group/fip/solutions/business-and-technology-solutions/sustainability-solution/management/biodiversity/; accessed 10 August 2017). Customized system could set a several subsystem which independent in each. Each regional manager can set that according to their purpose of the collection event and managed that. In the subsystem, regional manager can manage photo which collected their event only. The main system which managed by us, we can manage all photos collected by all subsystems. The data collection procedure is simple: a participant takes a photo of the observation target and sends an e-mail with the photo that has geographic information embedded by GPS. The timing and location of all the photos sent to the system are automatically extracted and stored in the data server. The records and the photos are available to be viewed by participants in our project websites from 2011 to 2016 (Note, however, that they are currently closed.) with the map of our web GIS.
- Study extent
The collection sites of the data provided here are distributed across Japan, from Hokkaido to the southern islands.
- Method steps
We discuss the rationale for each event with the regional manager beforehand and set up an event-specific subsystem for projects. We designate an event-specific address to which the participants send their e-mails. Event-specific websites which relate to each subsystem were opened. For some observation events, we ask citizen scientists to identify the organisms that they have observed and put the names of the organisms in their e-mails. We help regional managers to check all records posted and re-examine the species names classified by the citizen scientists on the basis of the photos attached. We have removed records that could not be identified to the species level from a photo.
Metrics
Contacts
Takeshi Osawa
Originator
Administrative point of contact- Organization
- Tokyo Metropolitan University
- Position
- Associate Professor
- Address
- Minami-Osawa 1-1
- Roles
- Originator
Administrative point of contact
- Organization
- Tokyo Metropolitan University
- Position
- Associate Professor
- Address
- Minami-Osawa 1-1
- Roles
- Metadata author
Author
GBIF registration
- Registration date
- November 01, 2017
- Metadata last modified
- January 14, 2025
- Publication date
- January 14, 2025
- Hosted by
- National Institute of Genetics, ROIS
- Installation
- National Institute of Genetics, ROIS
- Endpoints
- Darwin Core Archive
- EML
- Preferred identifier
- 10.15468/r4q3d2
- Alternative identifiers