What is crowdsourcing?

Crowdsourcing is when a large group of people work together online to help solve problems, gather information, or create something new. It happens through websites, social media, or apps, and it’s how many science and history projects get the help they need. When you volunteer for crowdsourcing projects, you’re helping researchers explore space, decode old documents, protect wildlife, and even train artificial intelligence. 

Online crowdsourcing is a great form of volunteering and is especially useful for busy students who might also be challenged to do other awesome types of in-person volunteering.

How does online crowdsourcing volunteering work?

Online crowdsourcing volunteering works by using a network of individuals to contribute to projects online, usually without direct financial compensation. These volunteers engage in tasks like transcription, data entry, image tagging, or reviewing content, helping organizations achieve goals they might otherwise struggle to accomplish.

Volunteers can participate in projects by creating an account on the website they want to do work on, and they can track their contributions and see how their work impacts the project.

Any completed work is then used by the organization or project creator to achieve its goals, whether it’s improving access to collections, furthering research, or other purposes.

What kinds of projects ask for help with crowdsourcing?

Some projects require volunteers to complete tasks ranging from transcribing documents, tagging images, or reviewing data. 

Where can I go to do online crowdsourcing?

There are a number of platforms and websites that offer great opportunities for online crowdsourcing, but the platforms that I used for crowdsourcing were: Zooniverse, Fathomverse, Project Sidewalk, GeSort, EyeWire, and Sci-Starter, which is a great resource that I used which helped me find active crowdsourcing volunteer projects, including some that were on Zooniverse but also those outside of it.

What are the advantages of volunteering through online crowdsourcing?

One of the advantages of volunteering through online crowdsourcing, certainly for me, was that I got to participate in any project I wanted from my house without having to go out in public and volunteer in person. Another advantage I got from this experience was that I got to complete projects that support people and their research from around the world, not just in my own community and area. I also got to practice and improve upon skills in my writing, being able to analyze data, translate, as well as digital transcription.

What are the disadvantages of volunteering through online crowdsourcing?

One of the disadvantages of volunteering through online crowdsourcing is having fewer social interactions with other peers except through discussions and posted threads. Another disadvantage is less mentoring.

How do I track my time and get credit for volunteering online?

To track your time and progress on these volunteering sites, you must create an account which can keep a record of your contributions. Doing so can track your activity and the number of classifications and projects you have worked on.

Some sites can’t actually track your activity and progress, so you have to do it manually yourself using a spreadsheet or journal to track your time spent and the projects you worked on.

Is it boring?

Sometimes it can be boring to volunteer online because the projects aren’t always the most exciting things. The good thing is you can do it in short bursts of 15-20 minutes 2-3 times a day when you want to be distracted by something other than homework. Jumping around to different projects can also help. Do 10 minutes on one project, then jump to another and spend 5 more. A month later, you’ll find that you have built up a bunch of hours of volunteer time.

How do I find new projects beyond what's on Zooniverse?

There are four main sites you can go to besides Zooniverse. SciStarter lets you find lots of projects, including some that are not on Zooniverse. Fromthepage is especially good for finding transcription projects, and LanguageArc lets you find projects that often involve spoken words. You can also do searches on Google for topics like “Citizen Science Game”, “Citizen Science online project”, “Crowdsourcing Volunteering”, or “Crowdsourcing Volunteer Game”, and that can be useful for finding projects like Fathomverse, EyeWire, or Phylo that are standalone projects with their own special apps you download to play.

What skills do I need to get started?

Getting started with crowdsourcing does not require any advanced skills, as many of these sites are open to anyone who has an Internet connection. Most projects rely on careful visual skills and just being able to take time to figure out exactly what you’re looking at and following the instructions from the projects.

Can I volunteer even if I only have a few minutes a day?

You can volunteer for however long you want to as long as you are completing tasks and doing what these projects ask you to do.

Can I do this on my phone or tablet?

Yes, you can do crowdsourcing on any mobile device as there are many platforms that allow for it. Zooniverse, Fathomverse, and Project Sidewalk offer the ability to work on projects on a tablet or even a phone.

Can I volunteer with friends or classmates?

Many sites support groups and teams. Zooniverse has Zooniverse Groups, which you can access at: https://www.zooniverse.org/users/[YOUR PROFILE NAME]/groups, which lets you and friends form a group to have group leaderboards and track overall progress of your group.

How do I know my work is actually helping?

Some projects will often post updates about how the project is going, and when the project is completed, they will usually offer some report on the results. Many projects are tied to research efforts, and they will often publish research papers you can later find online. The best way to track things if they don’t offer updates on their Zooniverse page or their own site is to look up the researchers involved, as many are based at a university or college.

Can I use this volunteering on my college or scholarship applications?

Yes, as long as you keep a log of your hours and the projects you have done with good proof that you actually volunteered and did the work on the crowdsourcing websites you were on, you can often get high school credit for it and use it on your applications. Check with your guidance counselor before starting your effort, make sure you understand your school’s rules for reporting your time and document.

Aren't there other types of citizen science and crowdsourcing projects that happen offline too?

Yes! There are many projects that involve going out into the world, especially nature, and performing simple measurements and observations and reporting back the results. Some are fairly involved, others are easier. The best place to find these types of often outdoor activities is on SciStarter and CitizenScience. Many often require a cellphone and being out in nature, so it’s a good option for people who like to hike, be outdoors, and help with experiments.

What final tips do you have for people who are going to do this?

The biggest tip is to keep your own journal of activity because while Zooniverse and some sites track your time, not everything does. In fact, some can overestimate your time, so it’s good to have a backup to use. It’s also recommended to write a small journal entry on each project you do detailing what it involved, what you liked about it, or didn’t, and how well you think you did. This helps when later on you might need to file a report on your work beyond just listing your hours. The most important thing is not to just do the work like a robot, but to take a little time to learn about the topic the project is addressing. You’ll learn something and feel more attached to the work you did for it.