With the motivation of the user base being such a crucial factor for a successful project, integrating modern digitally-rewarding concepts is a must in Citizen Science. A motivated user base provides more frequent and higher quality observations for the project's data set. User-motivation features foster friendly competition and provide ongoing user incentives for participating actively in the project over time. Along with a vibrant digital-social community welcoming and interacting with new users, the SPOTTERON platform offers more than just a new way to collect data - it enables integrating participation in science into our daily lives.
User Motivation Features
Custom Push Messages
Integrated tool for reaching out to every participant in your project's App with custom short messages for news, updates, and project involvement
Badges
Earned by ongoing participation, Badges are rewards for the user for active involvement and are visible to all connections in the user community.
Custom Spot Names
Possibility to let participants input a custom Spot name for their observations for increased identification and information
Timelines
Creating ongoing chronological observations of the same location or object for change-data recording and user data diary
Statistics Panels
Displaying chronological data from Timeline observations in the form of line charts and statistics in the detail-view of a Spot
Top Spots
Option for project administrators to highlight core data entries of the project or user contributions with high quality or importance
Spot Collection Panel
A User-Profile panel with an ever-growing collection of all contributions of a user in the project's App
Dynamic Observation Counter
An increasing counter of all combined data contributions by the community in the top area of the project App
Community Motivation
Due to the integrated digital-social Community Toolkit, users find an active and welcoming environment for participation.
Project-to-User Message Boards
Project administrators and moderators can contact users privately to get in contact and provide feedback.
Design and Application Quality as a motivational factor for Citizen Science and Public Participation
The platform further supports participant motivation with a strong focus on quality, design, and performance. Nothing hinders our motivation more than clunky Apps that stop functioning when we need them to run reliably. On SPOTTERON, part of our work is to ensure user interfaces are appealing, performance is stable, and your App works well when there is something to record for your project's data set.
With built-in motivational features, the so-called "dropout rate," meaning how many users stop participating after one contribution, gets significantly lower. On SPOTTERON, after the first upload, the App says: "Thank you" with a beautiful Badge, resulting in a positive feeling towards the project.
The User Motivation Features are already included in all SPOTTERON packages without additional costs.
Citizen Science App Screens: User Motivation Features
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User Motivation Pack: Direct Messages User Motivation Pack: Direct Messages -
User Motivation Pack: Badges User Motivation Pack: Badges -
User Motivation Pack: Statistics Panel User Motivation Pack: Statistics Panel -
User Motivation Pack: Top Spots User Motivation Pack: Top Spots
https://www.spotteron.net/citizen-science-app-features/user-motivation-pack/amp#sigProIdcbf45b0da6