What is Citizen Science?

Citizen Science is sometimes called "Crowd-sourced science" or "people-powered science". It's a global movement that lets people contribute to scientific research into topics that are important to them, like medicine, nature, climate and space. You don't need special training or qualifications and can contribute from your home, garden, local library or local park.

Citizen scientists can contribute in a variety of ways

• Collecting and submitting data (e.g. photos of plants or recordings of birdsong)
• Collecting and submitting samples (e.g. finding harmful-bacteria-eating viruses, known as phages, in dirty water around the home or garden)
• Analysing data by looking at photographs and graphs (e.g.spotting penguins in Antarctica or U-shaped dips in graphs of the light from a star)
• Even playing games! (e.g. the Stallcatchers Alzheimer's research game )

Some discoveries made thanks to citizen scientists and their contributions

• There are over 50 types of bacteria living in the human belly-button, studying them is helping scientist find out more about how bacteria affect the immune system
• Citizen scientists spotted the signs of a new planet (nicknamed Percival) orbiting a star over 330 light years away, which was then confirmed by astronomers
• Several new species have been found by users of the iNaturalist app and website.