Could you give us an introduction to one of your new projects?
Mondardini:
We have various projects in the pipeline. I would like to give special mention to a linguistics project being set up by Elvira Glaser, professor of German philology. It relates to the work of Georg Wenker, a 19th century German linguist, in mapping German dialects. He sent a survey containing 40 sentences to schools around Germany asking for translations into the local dialect. The information he received formed the basis of the German Language Atlas, and made it possible to determine dialect boundaries. But he was not able to analyze all of the translations. Now, over 100 years later, they are being transcribed and analyzed with the help of citizen scientists. In a second phase, they will be asked to rewrite the sentences in modern dialect. The citizen scientists therefore play an integral part in the research in this project.
Martin:
In the last months we have established quality standards and structures so that we are in a position to launch new projects relatively quickly once the center opens. Our aim is to start between 10 and 20 new projects per year.
Mondardini:
It must be stressed, though, that our main concern is that the projects are relevant, rather than achieving a certain number. We can now offer methods and standards and provide support for researchers so that it’s easy for them to develop and launch projects.
Vayena:
Alongside the citizen science projects, we are also planning projects that are about the topic of citizen science itself, for example regarding the ethical questions around data. What factors influence whether someone is willing to provide their personal data, what are the new concepts of data security? I’m really intrigued by these sorts of questions about new forms of research in the age of Big Data. And I think they will be of increasing importance for universities in the future. Digitalization and the internet open up whole new realms of possibility for citizen science.
Martin:
I would even go so far as to say that universities have a duty to use the new possibilities offered by digitalization in terms of citizen science. There is a lot of expertise and know-how in our society, and it can help us make progress in science.
Mondardini:
This is related for example to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which play an important role for us. One of the Center of Competence’s focal points is on projects connected to these 17 goals, which were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, including Switzerland, in 2015. Goal number 6, for example, is to ensure access to clean water, and there is already a citizen science project at UZH in this field called Crowdwater. Citizen science can make a considerable contribution to the realization of these goals at local level, and we want to harness this potential.
