Promoting Rigorous Citizen Science: Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) Evaluation Report on Citizen Impact

In 2012, with funding from the National Science Foundation’s Advancing in Informal STEM Learning (AISL) division, a one-year study was conducted to focus specifically on evaluating participant learning outcomes and impacts from the beached bird data module. COASSTNET: Scaling Up COASSTal Citizen Science (NSF-DRL – 2224734) is an initial exploration of the effectiveness of the COASST beached bird module to sustain outcomes at individual, research and community levels, with a specific focus on the degree to which participants understand various scales of data, from the individual bird identification through to the use of COASST data by the science and resource management communities. The study was conducted by Dr. Cynthia Char of Char Associates, an independent evaluation firm, working in close collaboration with Dr. Julia Parrish, COASST Executive Director; and COASST staff.