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Crowd science user contribution patterns and their implications
#MMPMID25561529
Sauermann H
; Franzoni C
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
2015[Jan]; 112
(3
): 679-84
PMID25561529
show ga
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 received by projects are very uneven across time--a tendency toward
declining activity is interrupted by spikes typically resulting from outreach
efforts or media attention. Analyzing user-level data, we find that most
contributors participate only once and with little effort, leaving a relatively
small share of users who return responsible for most of the work. Although top
contributor status is earned primarily through higher levels of effort, top
contributors also tend to work faster. This speed advantage develops over
multiple sessions, suggesting that it reflects learning rather than inherent
differences in skills. Our findings inform recent discussions about potential
benefits from crowd science, suggest that involving the crowd may be more
effective for some kinds of projects than others, provide guidance for project
managers, and raise important questions for future research.