Understanding the Drivers and Constraints to Participation in Citizen Science Programs in Uganda

Mercy Gloria Ashepet; Liesbet Jacobs; Caroline Michellier; Grace Kagoro-Rugunda; Casim Umba Tolo; Tine Huyse; Liesbet Vranken

doi:10.5334/cstp.773

Figures & Tables

Table 1

Data collection periods per respondent group, interview setting, and CS network. ATRAP: Action Towards Reducing Aquatic Snail-Borne Parasitic Diseases.

PROJECT	RESPONDENT GROUP	NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS	DATE OF INTERVIEW	INTERVIEW SETTING
Geo-Observers	Citizen scientists	51	Aug and Nov 2019	Group
	Citizen scientists	59	Jan and Feb 2021	Individual
	Control group	56	Nov 2019	Group
	Control group	41	Jan and Feb 2021	Individual
ATRAP	Citizen scientists	23	Jan 2021	Individual
	Citizen scientists	24	Oct 2021	Group
	Control group	30	Jan 2021	Individual
	Control group	34	Nov 2021	Group

Table 2

Demographic characteristics of the study respondents. Bolded cells represent statistically significant differences between similar groups.

VARIABLE	CITIZEN SCIENCE NETWORK AND RESPONDENT GROUP
	ATRAP_ALL		ATRAP_CSs		ATRAP_CG		GO_ALL		GO_CSs		GO_CG
	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%
Age: mean (sd)	36.3 (7.2)		37.8(6.7)		35.2 (7.4)		32.1(8.5)		33.1(8.8)		31.2(8.2)
Age groups
20–29	7	13.2	2	8.7	5	16.7	43	40.2	20	39.2	23	41
30–39	27	50.9	9	39	18	60	46	43	19	37.3	27	48
40–49	16	30.2	11	48	5	16.7	11	10.3	8	15.7	3	5.4
50+	3	5.7	1	4.3	2	6.7	6	5.61	3	5.9	3	5.4
Not indicated	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.9	1	2	0	0
Occupation status
Employed	8	15.1	3	13	5	16.7	17	15.9	6	11.8	11	20
No income-generating activity	5	9.4	2	8.7	3	10	14	13.1	3	5.9	11	20
Self-employed	40	75.5	18	78	22	73.3	76	71	42	82.4	34	61
Gender
Female	12	22.6	6	26	6	20	29	27.1	12	23.5	17	30
Male	41	77.4	17	74	24	80	78	72.9	39	76.5	39	70
Education level
Primary level	11	20.8	4	17	7	23.3	15	14	7	13.7	8	14.3
Lower secondary	19	35.8	10	44	9	30	25	23.4	10	19.6	15	26.9
Upper secondary	6	11.3	4	17	2	6.7	23	21.5	14	27.5	9	16.1
High (University or tertiary)	17	32.1	5	22	12	40	44	41.1	20	39.2	24	42.9
Past volunteering experience
Yes	49	92.5	20	87	29	96.7	26	24.3	24	47.1	2	3.6
No	4	7.55	3	13	1	3.3	24	22.4	22	43.1	2	3.6
Not indicated	0	0	0	0	0	0	57	53.3	5	9.8	52	92.9

[i] Notes: ATRAP: Action Towards Reducing Aquatic Snail-Borne Parasitic Diseases, CSs: citizen scientists; CG: control group, GO: Geo-Observers.

Table 3

Comparisons of mean scores between motivational factors using the Mann-Whitney U test and BH correction for multiple comparisons. Significant differences between the highest-scoring factors (Understanding, Values) and the lowest-scoring factors (Social, Protective) are highlighted in bold.

CITIZEN SCIENCE NETWORK	ATRAP						GO
INTERVIEW SETTING	GROUP(n = 58)			INDIVIDUAL(n = 53)			GROUP(n = 107)			INDIVIDUAL(n = 100)
COMPARISONS	W	p.adj	r	W	p.adj	r	W	p.adj	r	W	p.adj	r
Understanding_Values	964	0.73	0.04	1012	0.53	0.08	3840.5	0.00**	0.23	4212.5	0.14	0.12
Understanding_Career	1157	0.07^.	0.22	1250	0.00**	0.31	3026	0.74	0.03	4119	0.23	0.10
Understanding_Social	1334.5	0.00**	0.39	1557	0.00**	0.59	4445.5	0.00**	0.40	6217.5	0.00**	0.59
Understanding_Enhancement	1043.5	0.36	0.11	1231	0.00**	0.29	3619.5	0.25	0.10	4377.5	0.05*	0.16
Understanding_Protective	1579	0.00**	0.61	1636	0.00**	0.67	4131	0.00**	0.43	6381.5	0.00**	0.63
Understanding_Attitude	825	0.42	0.10	1340	0.00**	0.39	2605.5	0.53	0.06	5885	0.00**	0.51
Understanding_Subjective norms	1429.5	0.00**	0.48	1610	0.00**	0.64	3665.5	0.12	0.14	6194.5	0.00**	0.59
Values_Career	1109.5	0.14	0.18	1149	0.07^.	0.21	2234	0.00**	0.23	3600	0.76	0.02
Values_Social	1259	0.00**	0.32	1464.5	0.00**	0.51	3890	0.00**	0.27	5725	0.00**	0.47
Values_Enhancement	985.5	0.61	0.06	1118.5	0.12	0.18	2700.5	0.16	0.13	3810	0.76	0.03
Values_Protective	1485.5	0.00**	0.53	1540	0.00**	0.58	3447	0.00**	0.24	5995.5	0.00**	0.54
Values_Attitude	813	0.36	0.11	1222	0.00**	0.28	1907.5	0.00**	0.26	5176	0.00**	0.35
Values_Subjective norms	1336.5	0.00**	0.39	1490.5	0.00**	0.53	2759.5	0.32	0.09	5646.5	0.00**	0.46
Career_Social	1097	0.18	0.16	1320.5	0.00**	0.37	4424	0.00**	0.39	5672	0.00**	0.46
Career_Enhancement	798	0.34	0.12	879.5	0.73	0.04	3675	0.18	0.12	3934	0.51	0.06
Career_Protective	1361.5	0.00**	0.41	1384.5	0.00**	0.43	4111.5	0.00**	0.42	5994	0.00**	0.54
Career_Attitude	600.5	0.00**	0.31	932	0.95	0.01	2702	0.72	0.03	5154	0.00**	0.34
Career_Subjective norms	1178	0.05*	0.24	1288.5	0.00**	0.34	3695	0.1^.	0.15	5602.5	0.00**	0.45
Social_Enhancement	622	0.02*	0.28	455.5	0.00**	0.44	1899.5	0.00**	0.35	1761.5	0.00**	0.45
Social_Protective	1199.5	0.03*	0.26	969.5	0.73	0.04	2547.5	0.64	0.05	4325	0.07^.	0.15
Social_Attitude	435.5	0.00**	0.46	451.5	0.00**	0.44	1380.5	0.00**	0.43	2724	0.00**	0.23
Social_Subjective norms	1014	0.48	0.08	837	0.53	0.08	1963	0.00**	0.31	3397	0.4	0.07
Enhancement_Protective	1502.5	0.00**	0.54	1458.5	0.00**	0.50	4012	0.00**	0.34	5980	0.00**	0.53
Enhancement_Attitude	704.5	0.08^.	0.21	992	0.63	0.06	2360.5	0.07^.	0.16	5088.5	0.00**	0.33
Enhancement_Subjective norms	1329.5	0.00**	0.38	1378	0.00**	0.42	3397	0.72	0.03	5541	0.00**	0.43
Protective_Attitude	214.5	0.00**	0.67	392.5	0.00**	0.50	1137	0.00**	0.47	2120.5	0.00**	0.37
Protective_Subjective norms	735	0.14	0.18	779	0.27	0.14	1766	0.00**	0.32	2756	0.00**	0.22
Attitude_Subjective norms	1496	0.00**	0.54	1383	0.00**	0.43	3463	0.03*	0.19	4496.5	0.00**	0.19

[i] Notes: ATRAP: Action Towards Reducing Aquatic Snail-Borne Parasitic Diseases, GO: Geo-Observers, p.adj: p-value after the BH correction for multiple comparisons, significant differences between the motivational factors detected at ^.p < 0.1 *: p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, r: effect size and W: test statistic for the Mann-Whitney U test.

Mean scores of the motivational factors across citizen science networks, respondent group, and interview setting, with error bars indicating the standard deviation (Source of data: all datasets generated).

Table 4

Comparisons of motivational factors between the respondent groups per citizen science (CS) network and interview settings using the Mann-Whitney U test.

CS NETWORK	ATRAP								GO
INTERVIEW SETTING	INDIVIDUAL				GROUP				GROUP				INDIVIDUAL
COMPARISONS (CITIZEN SCIENTISTS~CONTROL GROUP)	W	P-VALUE	r	d	W	P-VALUE	r	d	W	P-VALUE	R	d	W	P-VALUE	r	d
Understanding	262.5	0.13	0.21	–0.16	188	0.00**	0.48	–0.49	1162	0.85	0.02	0.07	995	0.13	0.15	–0.24
Values	189	0.00**	0.39	–0.79	219	0.00**	0.43	–0.72	1295.5	0.28	0.11	–0.09	927.5	0.05*	0.2	–0.22
Career	167	0.00**	0.44	–0.73	77.5	0.00**	0.69	–1.37	1305.5	0.66	0.04	–0.19	1172	0.79	0.03	–0.15
Social	232.5	0.04*	0.28	–0.64	129	0.00**	0.58	–1.81	1243	0.45	0.08	–0.14	794	0.00**	0.29	–0.62
Enhancement	205.5	0.01**	0.35	–0.43	175.5	0.00**	0.49	–0.56	1376.5	0.48	0.07	–0.26	995	0.13	0.15	–0.26
Protective	206	0.01**	0.34	–0.94	97	0.00**	0.67	–2.16	1038	0.06^.	0.21	–0.63	990.5	0.12	0.15	–0.35
Attitude	505	0.00**	0.4	0.35	347	0.32	0.13	–0.11	873.5	0.67	0.05	0.02	1664.5	0.00**	0.32	–0.23
Subjective norms	234	0.05*	0.28	–0.6	124	0.00**	0.59	–1.67	1223	0.75	0.03	0	1034.5	0.22	0.12	–0.26

[i] Notes: ATRAP: Action Towards Reducing Aquatic Snail-Borne Parasitic Diseases, d: the difference between the mean scores of the motivational factors of the citizen scientists and control group (i.e., µCSs-µCG), GO: Geo-Observers, r: effect size, significant differences detected at .p < 0.1 *:p < 0.05, **:p < 0.01 and W: test statistic for the Mann-Whitney U test.

Table 5

Changes in motivational factor scores over time showing the differences between initial and follow-up interview settings for individuals who participated in both interviews, represented per respondent group and citizen science (CS) network.

CS NETWORK	ATRAP								GO
RESPONDENT GROUP	CITIZEN SCIENTISTS				CONTROL GROUP				CITIZEN SCIENTISTS				CONTROL GROUP
INTERVIEW SETTING/TIMESTEP	µINDIVIDUAL (INITIAL)	µGROUP (FOLLOW-UP)	d_t	r	µINDIVIDUAL (INITIAL)	µGROUP (FOLLOW-UP)	d_t	r	µGROUP (INITIAL)	µINDIVIDUAL (FOLLOW-UP)	d_t	r	µGROUP (INITIAL)	µINDIVIDUAL (FOLLOW-UP)	d_t	r
Understanding	6.43	6.35	–0.08	0.04	6.61	6.81	0.2*	0.5	6.39	6.37	–0.02	0.11	6.29	6.51	0.22	0.25
Values	5.88	5.85	–0.03	0.11	6.69	6.63	–0.06	0.3	6.06	6.15	0.09	0.21	6	6.29	0.29**	0.49
Career	5.61	5.33	–0.28	0.12	6.44	6.71	0.27*	0.4	6.27	6.21	–0.06	0.03	6.42	6.24	–0.18	0.15
Social	4.87	4.63	–0.24	0.18	5.56	6.44	0.9**	0.6	5.46	5.06	–0.4	0.18	5.59	5.62	0.03	0.03
Enhancement	5.91	6.15	0.24	0.14	6.37	6.69	0.32*	0.5	6.17	6.1	–0.07	0.09	6.29	6.27	–0.02	0.05
Protective	4.6	3.7	–0.9*	0.52	5.46	5.77	0.31	0.2	5.22	4.76	–0.46*	0.29	5.83	5.12	–0.71**	0.48
Attitude	6.37	6.69	0.32**	0.61	6.09	6.77	0.68**	0.8	6.38	5.98	–0.4*	0.39	6.34	5.76	–0.58**	0.72
Subjective norms	5.05	4.43	–0.62	0.33	5.77	6.18	0.41*	0.4	6.23	5.47	–0.76**	0.59	6	5.66	–0.34**	0.41

[i] Notes: ATRAP: Action Towards Reducing Aquatic Snail-Borne Parasitic Diseases, d_t: the difference between the mean scores of the motivational factors in the initial and the follow-up interview, GO: Geo-Observers, r: effect size, significant differences detected at .p < 0.1 *:p < 0.05, **:p < 0.01and µ:average score for the motivational factors.

Themes reflecting personal motivational factors identified through thematic analysis of individual interview data with citizen scientists. ATRAP: Action Towards Reducing Aquatic Snail-Borne Parasitic Diseases, GOs: Geo-Observers.

Proportion of citizen scientists reporting each participation barrier, based on data from individual interviews. ATRAP: Action Towards Reducing Aquatic Snail-Borne Parasitic Diseases, GOs: Geo-Observers.

Understanding the Drivers and Constraints to Participation in Citizen Science Programs in Uganda

Figures & Tables

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