COBWEB

COBWEB was a research project that succeeded in its goal of developing a generic crowdsourcing infrastructure platform and toolkit that could be used in multiple scenarios generating data of sufficient quality to be used by policymakers. At the end of the project, different components comprising the platform are at different Technology Readiness Levels (TRL); with some high TRL outputs being open sourced, eg, Fieldtrip Open.

Achieving an understanding of how citizen science can be harnessed in the service of societal goals is important. There is a veritable deluge of data being generated by citizens and some of that data is useful (or can be made useful) for environmental decision making. Perhaps more importantly, the technology is creating opportunities for greater citizen involvement in environmental decision making. For example, it has been observed that realising the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals will require massive citizen support. COBWEB made a contribution, most significantly in the following areas: standardisation, quality control, security/privacy and use of the UN’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).

A new Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Citizen Science Working Group has been established and looks set to become a key forum for advancing related global interoperability issues. COBWEB’s Sensor Web Enablement for Citizen Science (SWE4CS) initiative is a first step in the standardisation process and led the way in developing a harmonised information model for exchanging CS data and addressing semantic interoperability issues. The high TRL access management federation approach advocated by COBWEB for managing privacy and security has had impact on GEOSS and is being used by followon projects. Quality control continues to be a major concern for initiatives dealing with crowdsourced data; COBWEB pioneered a web services chaining approach that allows great flexibility in the processes applied in response to the multitude of different circumstances under which such data is collected. This too is being further developed by follow-on projects.

Using a unique co-design approach, COBWEB concentrated on mobilising citizens within Biosphere Reserves. We found the WNBR to be an excellent (and underused) resource for this kind of research project; where access to an already incentivised and organised pool of citizens enthusiastic about the sustainable development agenda is a definite advantage.

Having a government involved as a full partner in the project also proved to be an advantage; COBWEB benefited from direct communication channels with bodies responsible for setting and delivering policy relating to environmental data. This impact continues post project as Welsh Government is sustaining the COBWEB platform for a period in support of environmental decision making and policy.