Snapshot Serengeti Talk

Motivations Study - can you help?

  • Hannah_Highsted by Hannah_Highsted

    Hi all, my name is Hannah and I am a Digital Heritage student at the University of Manchester. I'm doing a project on people's motivations for participating in crowdsourcing projects like Snapshot Serengeti. I'd like to ask if anyone would be willing to tell me why you're participating in this project? What do you want to get out of the project? How does Snapshot Serengeti help you achieve this? Any other background information about yourself would be great too (information will be kept anonymous in the project).

    I look forward to hearing from you all!

    Posted

  • tillydad by tillydad moderator in response to Hannah_Highsted's comment.

    Hi Hannah,

    I take part on this, and other similar projects, because it gives me an opportunity to contribute to real research that will, ultimately, help to conserve areas such as the Serengeti for future generations . I believe that we need to improve our knowledge and understanding of the natural world and that camera traps are a great way to achieve this without being prohibitively expensive and time consuming for individual researchers . The images that we citizen scientists classify do feed directly into research and that can only be a good thing .

    I have a lot of spare time, because of various health issues, and participating on here helps me feel of value and is a great way of relieving boredom . I have always had a love of African wildlife and this project really is right up my street .

    Cheers 😃

    Posted

  • davidbygott by davidbygott moderator

    Hi Hannah,
    I'm here because I have a personal interest in Serengeti, having lived and worked there for several years in the past as a wildlife biologist, and I still return there every year. Serving here as a moderator gives me a chance to educate others about Serengeti, to learn more myself, see amazing photos of familiar landscapes and animals, and play a small part in this interesting scientific project.
    David

    Posted

  • maricksu by maricksu moderator

    Hi Hannah,

    So many reasons to participate this, in so many ways very rewarding project. This gives me opportunity to contribute this interesting, valuable research and the future of this amazing, unique nature. Always been interested in nature and science. I was studying biology in my youth, but life took me to other direction and did not have chance to complete my studies, now working in completely different field. This project gives me chance to be part of the work I really would like to do.

    Love African wildlife, special interest in East African wildlife and the Serengeti, been there in a few safaris and will go again when have the chance. Studied through various books more about the Serengeti wildlife, history and conservation, special interest in animal behaviour.
    Participating this project gives chance to learn a lot more.

    Camera trap images we see are amazing, many almost impossible to see in normal safaris, night shots, closeups etc. This is a longterm project, which gives chance to deeper learn more about and follow the life of the animals there, also chance to be ”present” in the Serengeti.

    I love to work, meet and share knowledge with all the wonderful, kind, like-minded people here. Also a lot of fun, so many enjoyable moments with these beautiful images and interesting findings. Always happy to contribute things that increase interest and understanding about our precious nature.

    Cheers 😃

    Posted

  • rcooley001 by rcooley001

    Hi Hannah,

    I have a Masters in Primate Conservation, but student loans and life have prevented me from being able to follow my passion at this time. I have spent a lot of time doing captive gorilla observation as well as working with capuchin monkeys. I have also done video coding. I participate with a number of Zooniverse projects. I also did a conservation education project on Cross River Gorilla in Cameroon.

    Participating here gives me a chance to feel like I am still a part of the scientific community, and am making a viable contribution to the projects here. Citizen Scientist,s can dramatically accelerate the time it takes to process massive amounts of data. In my experience the individuals who contribute here take it very seriously and do their best to correctly identify the images. I also enjoy working on this project because the moderators are truly interested in helping and are constantly on the site to give feedback. The variety of species and activities in these images are incredible. Plus you just never know what the next image will bring. I may be silly but the sight of a beautiful lion pride, a zebra rolling in the dirt, or majestic family of elephants is thrilling. And knowing that there are others out there sharing the joy in finding those really special images after so many no animals present makes me feel I am in touch with a group of like-minded individuals.

    Thank you for asking.

    Robin

    ps, I did my masters in Oxford

    Posted

  • BHamer by BHamer

    Hannah, there's a thread in the discussion boards at Wildcam Gorongosa that may be of interest to you:

    https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/zooniverse/wildcam-gorongosa/talk/83/34028?comment=67600&page=1

    If for some reason that doesn't work, you can sign in at WG using the same Zooniverse name and password you used here and search the boards- it's in the Chat section. The thread is called "Why do you like contributing to Wildcam?" and it was started by one of the WG researchers who was giving a presentation along the same idea as yours.

    The "Who is everyone?" thread here at SS (see the Featured Discussions list on the main Talk page) may also useful- several people there talk about their interest in this project.

    My primary motivation is, as with many participants, the knowledge that I'm contributing to real scientific research. To clarify, that was my sole reason for getting involved and remains my primary reason for staying involved. Since I started contributing to various Zooniverse projects, I've also found that the chance to learn from our expert moderators and the opportunity to participate in a fun, educational activity with my children also keep me interested.

    I love science in general and studied biochemistry and environmental science in college, but my career field- environmental consulting- doesn't actually provide that much opportunity for scientific endeavors, at least the part that I do. (It's at least as much about knowledge of laws and regulations, and the science that does come up is seldom anything you don't already know.) When I participate in SS, WG, and other Zooniverse projects I feel like, even if in a very small way, I'm contributing to the advancement of science.

    Posted

  • Hannah_Highsted by Hannah_Highsted

    Thanks for all your responses 😃

    Posted

  • tillydad by tillydad moderator in response to Hannah_Highsted's comment.

    Glad to help and good luck with your project and degree 😃

    Posted