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An Overdue “Thank You”

Hundreds of thousands of volunteer data collectors are due for some thanks from scientists, according to a new study that reveals the role of citizen science in bird and climate change research. Data collected by volunteers underpins up to 77 percent of the studies in this field. Read more about it.

“Our paper is a chance to say thank you to the many people who are citizen scientists,” said lead author Caren Cooper, a research associate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “They are part of the process of creating new knowledge—and they should know that their observations really make a difference in professional science. People who have been doing a hobby for years have tons of expertise, and they can make a very real contribution.”

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology