In our Who’s who within the Zoo weblog sequence we introduce you to among the individuals behind the Zooniverse.
On this version, meet Dr Liz Dowthwaite, who’s a Senior Analysis Fellow on the College of Nottingham, and long-term Zooniverse analysis collaborator
– Helen
Title: Liz Dowthwaite
Location: College of Nottingham, UK
Inform us about your function inside the staff
I’ve been working with the Zooniverse on and off for about 3 years. I don’t have an official Zooniverse job title, I’m a Senior Analysis Fellow in Reliable Autonomous Techniques (https://www.tas.ac.uk) and Horizon Digital Economic system Analysis (https://www.horizon.ac.uk/) at Nottingham, and am fortunate sufficient to have the ability to spend a few of that point working with the Zoo staff. Nonetheless, I’ve been known as the ‘tame psychologist’! My work with the Zooniverse focuses on understanding how volunteer experiences might be enhanced to encourage continued participation and profit the volunteer.
What did you do in your life earlier than the Zooniverse?
Earlier than working with the Zooniverse I used to be doing the identical issues I do now! I did BSc Psychology and an MA in The Physique and Illustration on the College of Studying, UK. I additionally labored within the tutorial library there for 7 years as a library assistant receiving all of the shiny new books. I did my PhD in Digital and Inventive Economic system at Nottingham, within the Horizon CDT, studing on-line webcomic communities. I began as a Analysis Assistant in Horizon in 2016 while writing up my PhD, transferring on to Analysis Fellow once I graduated in 2018, and just lately received a promotion to Senior Analysis Fellow.
What does your typical working day contain?
I’m a analysis psychologist based mostly in a pc science division, so I research how individuals work together with expertise. I principally make money working from home in a tiny village in Oxfordshire, being ceaselessly interrupted by two cats who would swear they’ve by no means been fed of their lives. I journey as much as Nottingham about as soon as a month to see my PhD college students, and in addition to show postgrads about digital footprints, accountable analysis and innovation (RRI) and experimental design. In my day-to-day I work throughout a spread of multidisciplinary initiatives, for instance on-line moderation and end-to-end encryption, belief in expertise amongst individuals with psychological well being difficulties, benchmarks for measuring belief, and on-line wellbeing. This includes plenty of on-line conferences with my colleagues across the nation, and plenty of time spent studying issues on the web! A few of that is managing and planning the initiatives, some is conducting analysis – I write and analyse plenty of questionnaires!
How would you describe the Zooniverse in a single sentence?
The Zooniverse is a power for good within the on-line world, permitting anybody anyplace to make an actual distinction.
Inform us concerning the first Zooniverse challenge you have been concerned with
I have a tendency to check the Zooniverse as an entire however I final yr I labored with among the staff at Science Scribbler: Placenta Profiles to assist them to grasp extra about their volunteers.
Of all of the discoveries made potential by the Zooniverse, which for you has been probably the most notable?
I discovered a Supernova! Does that rely?!
What’s been your most memorable Zooniverse expertise?
After we run surveys with volunteers we frequently get some actually pretty tales about what the Zooniverse actually means to individuals, and I believe that’s actually great. Our initiatives have related individuals to their very own histories and cultures, and made impacts on their present lives, which is absolutely heartwarming and I like studying them.
What are your prime three citizen science initiatives?
I don’t actually have a favorite, I wish to play with a spread of initiatives. I are likely to get pleasure from pictures and graphs probably the most. I used to be utterly hooked on the unique Muon Hunters, I saved all the pictures that regarded like smiley faces, and it was actually easy and fast and had an actual ‘only one extra’ vibe. I additionally love the College of Wyoming Raccoon Undertaking as a result of who doesn’t love trash pandas?
What recommendation would you give to a researcher contemplating making a Zooniverse challenge?
Take into consideration how one can help and interact along with your volunteers past simply asking them to participate within the challenge!
How can somebody who’s by no means contributed to a citizen science challenge get began?
Simply get clicking! There actually is one thing to curiosity everybody on the Zooniverse – discover the challenge pages and dive in. Many of the initiatives have wonderful tutorials to get you began. Keep in mind that it’s okay to get issues incorrect, many individuals classifying the identical issues results in a wonderful consensus and top quality knowledge. And if a challenge isn’t for you, there’s certain to be one other one on the market that you simply’ll love.
When not at work, the place are we probably to search out you?
On the web! But in addition studying the London Overview of Books, consuming wine, or strolling within the lovely countryside round Oxfordshire – generally all of these without delay if we discover an superior nation pub! I’m additionally a eager prepare dinner (however not baker) and a particularly eager eater, and a reluctant runner (partly as a result of all the consuming)…
You possibly can hear extra from Liz on Twitter or on her weblog.