Building Collaborative Partnerships: An Example …
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computer networks, smart phones and other devices complement existing research
IT-infrastructures. All in all, the tools must be managed by a central driver which, in
this case, is the university. Examples for the collection of relevant data and occasions
concerning climate change are:
• description of soil erosion events, provide historical data
• identification of critical water levels in rivers and possibly related erosion events
• notification of damages occurring as consequence of extreme weather events, e.g.
heavy rainfall
• observation and documentation of invasive neophytes along rivers, thus profiting
from increased precipitation
There is a debate about accuracy and reliability of data provided by citizens.
Only a few projects have a transparent policy about the ownership of the results, and
especially volunteers are hardly informed about the intellectual property rights of
projects they have been involved (Bonn et al. 2016). As in “BebeR”, such problems
can be dealt with by the central moderating unit, the university, which seems to be
an advantage compared with other project frameworks.
It is furthermore important to evaluate the outcomes of citizen science: From a
scientific point of view expected outcomes are innovations and new findings, publications and the creation of new knowledge. From the public side expected outcomes
are measures, activities and guidelines, new knowledge and skills as well as appreciation.
2.2.5 Tools to Collaborate Digitally
The aspects presented so far indicate that a multi-party-project such as “BebeR”
needs a university as a coordinating unit as shown in Fig. 2 due to different reasons.
The overall goal is broad participation of as much actors as possible. As mentioned
before, this aim can be supported effectively by using electronic tools and workspaces
thus assisting relevant actors to find “new and better ways to engage an interconnected public with new electronic tools for observing, recoding, and reporting” (Louv
2012). However, electronic tools are furthermore helpful to intensify communication, as well as giving actors the opportunity not only to provide data, but to analyze
and visualize those. This can be achieved using Internet-based workspaces such as
the “BebeR”-website (Pundt et al. 2017). Here, functionalities to foster the communication between project partners are implemented as well as programs that enable
users to analyze and visualize spatial data aiming at producing maps which can serve
as important decision supporting means. The website, developed and maintained by
the moderating university, provides, apart from other functions, the following tools:
(1) An interactive GIS-based online mapping system: users can get insight into the
environmental and socio-economic situation of the pilot region. They can use
basic geographic data and prepared maps, showing adaptation measures. But
furthermore, they can generate their “own” maps interactively. Such maps can be
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computer networks, smart phones and other devices complement existing research
IT-infrastructures. All in all, the tools must be managed by a central driver which, in
this case, is the university. Examples for the collection of relevant data and occasions
concerning climate change are:
• description of soil erosion events, provide historical data
• identification of critical water levels in rivers and possibly related erosion events
• notification of damages occurring as consequence of extreme weather events, e.g.
heavy rainfall
• observation and documentation of invasive neophytes along rivers, thus profiting
from increased precipitation
There is a debate about accuracy and reliability of data provided by citizens.
Only a few projects have a transparent policy about the ownership of the results, and
especially volunteers are hardly informed about the intellectual property rights of
projects they have been involved (Bonn et al. 2016). As in “BebeR”, such problems
can be dealt with by the central moderating unit, the university, which seems to be
an advantage compared with other project frameworks.
It is furthermore important to evaluate the outcomes of citizen science: From a
scientific point of view expected outcomes are innovations and new findings, publications and the creation of new knowledge. From the public side expected outcomes
are measures, activities and guidelines, new knowledge and skills as well as appreciation.
2.2.5 Tools to Collaborate Digitally
The aspects presented so far indicate that a multi-party-project such as “BebeR”
needs a university as a coordinating unit as shown in Fig. 2 due to different reasons.
The overall goal is broad participation of as much actors as possible. As mentioned
before, this aim can be supported effectively by using electronic tools and workspaces
thus assisting relevant actors to find “new and better ways to engage an interconnected public with new electronic tools for observing, recoding, and reporting” (Louv
2012). However, electronic tools are furthermore helpful to intensify communication, as well as giving actors the opportunity not only to provide data, but to analyze
and visualize those. This can be achieved using Internet-based workspaces such as
the “BebeR”-website (Pundt et al. 2017). Here, functionalities to foster the communication between project partners are implemented as well as programs that enable
users to analyze and visualize spatial data aiming at producing maps which can serve
as important decision supporting means. The website, developed and maintained by
the moderating university, provides, apart from other functions, the following tools:
(1) An interactive GIS-based online mapping system: users can get insight into the
environmental and socio-economic situation of the pilot region. They can use
basic geographic data and prepared maps, showing adaptation measures. But
furthermore, they can generate their “own” maps interactively. Such maps can be