Usability and Interaction Dimensions of Participatory Noise and Ecological Monitoring

The integration of sensors in smartphones has transformed personal mobile phones, from tools primarily meant for communication purposes, into instruments that can sense or collect information about the surrounding environment (Lane et al. 2010). There are several mobile apps that allow ordinary members of the public (non-professionals) to collect fine-grained data about their environment and to contribute to real research. By involving citizens in environmental monitoring activities this helps to raise their awareness of environmental issues (Becker et al. 2013). However there are also challenges in the use of such apps. The lower-end sensors for mobile phones do not give the same level of data accuracy as specialised devices. The data is being collected by ‘inexpert’ citizens, which may add to perceptions of the data being inaccurate. Also, in order to apply complex statistical models, the data needs to be collected in mass quantities. This raises two questions about the citizens involved: (1) what is their experience of using the app and (2) what factors motivate them to participate

User-driven design of decision support systems for polycentric environmental resources management

Open and decentralized technologies such as the Internet provide increasing opportunities to create knowledge and deliver computer-based decision support for multiple types of users across scales. However, environmental decision support systems/tools (henceforth EDSS) are often strongly science-driven and assuming single types of decision makers, and hence poorly suited for more decentralized and polycentric decision making contexts. In such contexts, EDSS need to be tailored to meet diverse user requirements to ensure that it provides useful (relevant), usable (intuitive), and exchangeable (institutionally unobstructed) information for decision support for different types of actors. To address these issues, we present a participatory framework for designing EDSS that emphasizes a more complete understanding of the decision making structures and iterative design of the user interface. We illustrate the application of the framework through a case study within the context of water-stressed upstream/downstream communities in Lima, Peru

Geographic Citizen Science Design

Little did Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and other ‘gentlemen scientists’ know, when they were making their scientific discoveries, that some centuries later they would inspire a new field of scientific practice and innovation, called citizen science. The current growth and availability of citizen science projects and relevant applications to support citizen involvement is massive; every citizen has an opportunity to become a scientist and contribute to a scientific discipline, without having any professional qualifications. With geographic interfaces being the common approach to support collection, analysis and dissemination of data contributed by participants, ‘geographic citizen science’ is being approached from different angles. Geographic Citizen Science Design takes an anthropological and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) stance to provide the theoretical and methodological foundations to support the design, development and evaluation of citizen science projects and their user-friendly applications. Through a careful selection of case studies in the urban and non-urban contexts of the Global North and South, the chapters provide insights into the design and interaction barriers, as well as on the lessons learned from the engagement of a diverse set of participants; for example, literate and non-literate people with a range of technical skills, and with different cultural backgrounds. Looking at the field through the lenses of specific case studies, the book captures the current state of the art in research and development of geographic citizen science and provides critical insight to inform technological innovation and future research in this area

Human experience in the natural and built environment : implications for research policy and practice

22nd IAPS conference. Edited book of abstracts. 427 pp. University of Strathclyde, Sheffield and West of Scotland Publication. ISBN: 978-0-94-764988-3

Geographic Citizen Science Design: No one left behind

Little did Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and other ‘gentlemen scientists’ know, when they were making their scientific discoveries, that some centuries later they would inspire a new field of scientific practice and innovation, called citizen science. The current growth and availability of citizen science projects and relevant applications to support citizen involvement is massive; every citizen has an opportunity to become a scientist and contribute to a scientific discipline, without having any professional qualifications. With geographic interfaces being the common approach to support collection, analysis and dissemination of data contributed by participants, ‘geographic citizen science’ is being approached from different angles. Geographic Citizen Science Design takes an anthropological and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) stance to provide the theoretical and methodological foundations to support the design, development and evaluation of citizen science projects and their user-friendly applications. Through a careful selection of case studies in the urban and non-urban contexts of the Global North and South, the chapters provide insights into the design and interaction barriers, as well as on the lessons learned from the engagement of a diverse set of participants; for example, literate and non-literate people with a range of technical skills, and with different cultural backgrounds. Looking at the field through the lenses of specific case studies, the book captures the current state of the art in research and development of geographic citizen science and provides critical insight to inform technological innovation and future research in this area

Geographic Citizen Science Design

Little did Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and other ‘gentlemen scientists’ know, when they were making their scientific discoveries, that some centuries later they would inspire a new field of scientific practice and innovation, called citizen science. The current growth and availability of citizen science projects and relevant applications to support citizen involvement is massive; every citizen has an opportunity to become a scientist and contribute to a scientific discipline, without having any professional qualifications. With geographic interfaces being the common approach to support collection, analysis and dissemination of data contributed by participants, ‘geographic citizen science’ is being approached from different angles. Geographic Citizen Science Design takes an anthropological and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) stance to provide the theoretical and methodological foundations to support the design, development and evaluation of citizen science projects and their user-friendly applications. Through a careful selection of case studies in the urban and non-urban contexts of the Global North and South, the chapters provide insights into the design and interaction barriers, as well as on the lessons learned from the engagement of a diverse set of participants; for example, literate and non-literate people with a range of technical skills, and with different cultural backgrounds. Looking at the field through the lenses of specific case studies, the book captures the current state of the art in research and development of geographic citizen science and provides critical insight to inform technological innovation and future research in this area

The Emerging Nature of Participation in Multispecies Interaction Design

Interactive technology has become integral part of daily life for both humans and animals, with animals often interacting with technologized environments on behalf of humans. For some, animals' participation in the design process is essential to design technology that can adequately support their activities. For others, animals' inability to understand and control design activities inevitably stands in the way of multispecies participatory practices. Here, we consider the essential elements of participation within interspecies interactions and illustrate its emergence, in spite of contextual constraints and asymmetries. To move beyond anthropomorphic notions of participation, and consequent anthropocentric practices, we propose a broader participatory model based on indexical semiosis, volition and choice; and we highlight dimensions that could define inclusive participatory practices more resilient to the diversity of understandings and goals among part-taking agents, and better able to account for the contribution of diverse, multispecies agents in interaction design and beyond

Incorporating Spatial Data and GIS to Improve SEA of Land use Plans: Opportunities and Limitations: Case Studies in the Republic of Ireland

This research aimed at establishing whether spatial data and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can contribute to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). To achieve this, an integrated GISEA approach was developed and applied to a number of spatial planning SEAs in the Republic of Ireland. The practical applicability of the approach was examined, evaluating the potential benefits derived from using spatial data and GIS in SEA and assessing the potential barriers to an effective GIS use. The implementation of the SEA Directive incorporated a new dimension into plan-making by calling for the assessment of potential environmental effects that may derive from implementing a plan. The intrinsic spatial nature of land use plans poses specific requirements on the tools and assessment methods used. GIS – with their capacity to visually display and spatially assess information- have the potential to support SEA processes. Moreover, GIS tools can tackle the spatio-temporal dimensions that conventional assessment methods (e.g. matrices and checklists) fail to address. To explore the validity of these arguments, GISEA was applied to seven Irish development plans. These were supported by interviews with the planners and technicians involved, and through review of published SEA environmental reports. The case studies demonstrated that GIS can provide the mappable aspects of SEA; they facilitate the process by enhancing understanding of environmental and planning considerations, and improving the accuracy of assessments. These observations concur with published literature on the predicted benefits of applying GIS at various environmental assessment levels. Nevertheless, the results revealed that framework and procedural difficulties remain (e.g. institutional arrangements and technical data issues). These are more apparent at higher planning tiers and in certain SEA stages such as public participation. The contribution of GIS largely depends on scope for spatial information, availability and quality of relevant datasets, and willingness of involved organisations to facilitate data provision and disclosure. Therefore, formulation of spatially-specific land use plans and improved data accessibility and quality can contribute to an effective GIS use in SEA. Further research and practice are required to disclose the full potential of GISEA, but the work-placement aspect of this research has already had a direct impact on the level of GIS use in Irish SEA practice

Sustainable and participatory forestry under Mediterranean conditions: criteria and indicators for monitoring in a forest management unit of Comunidad Valenciana (Spain)

Tesis por compendioSustainable forest management (SFM) considers the social and ecological aspects of forestry apart from the productive ones. However, the relative importance of its principles changes in each type of forest. Criteria and indicators (C&I) extend the knowledge and understanding of SFM in each different situation. A set of C&I to be applied under Mediterranean conditions is proposed in this thesis. The scope was set for the forest management unit (FMU). The C&I proposed took into account the Spanish context and the Forestry Regional Plan for the region of Valencia (whose Spanish acronym is PATFOR) served as a reference. The thesis is made of three papers, two of them published and one accepted. The first identified the requirements of SFM under Mediterranean conditions and analysed the Spanish situation. For that purpose, a strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats (SWOT) analysis was carried out and strategies for improvement were determined. The results of the SWOT analysis together with the strategies and the requirements identified by means of literature review were verified in a questionnaire sent to experts. In the second paper, a group of criteria recommended to take into account for the success of a participatory process were established. A review of case studies which had developed decision support systems (DSSs) including elements of participation was completed. Conslusions were considered for the method applied in the third paper and they helped to identify indicators for the criterion “participatory processes”, which is one of the criteria proposed in this thesis. Besides, PATFOR recommends including participation in forestry decision-making. The third paper started adaptating various ecosystem services frameworks to Mediterranean conditions. PATFOR suggests that forestry is more sustainable if it stems from the provision of ecosystem services, even more in Mediterranean forests because they are not very productive in general. Management criteria which maintain and improve the provision of ecosystem services were identified. A participatory process took place in Ayora (a village in the region of Valencia); participants were asked to rank the criteria identified according their management preferences for La Hunde y La Palomera, a FMU near the village. A proposal of indicators was another output of this paper. The thesis includes another chapter which does not correspond to any published paper; it describes the elaboration of a questionnaire that was sent to experts. The questionnaire asked respondents to prioritise the indicators proposed in the third paper following the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology. The result is a proposal of 15 criteria and 90 indicators. Criteria were inspired by the requirements of the first paper and the ecosystem services. 7 out of 15 criteria are social, noticeably increasing the weight of the social pillar in comparison with other existing C&I sets. Nevertheless, participants ranked ecological implications of forestry as the most preferred ones. However, they did not reject any of the criteria and this suggests that considering ecosystem services in forest management is realistic and desirable. Although the AHP questionnaire sent to experts was different from the participatory process, both in appearance and content, some comparisons can be made. Experts search for feasibility in their answers. It may be recommended from these differences that forestry decision-making takes into account the views of affected people, but their preferences might pass an expert filter before carrying out actions. Regarding the indicators, some more work on them is still necessary, but they show a simple writing and they refer to a specific aspect of each criterion.Valls Donderis, P. (2015). Sustainable and participatory forestry under Mediterranean conditions: criteria and indicators for monitoring in a forest management unit of Comunidad Valenciana (Spain) [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/48540TESISCompendi

Use of nonintrusive sensor-based information and communication technology for real-world evidence for clinical trials in dementia

Cognitive function is an important end point of treatments in dementia clinical trials. Measuring cognitive function by standardized tests, however, is biased toward highly constrained environments (such as hospitals) in selected samples. Patient-powered real-world evidence using information and communication technology devices, including environmental and wearable sensors, may help to overcome these limitations. This position paper describes current and novel information and communication technology devices and algorithms to monitor behavior and function in people with prodromal and manifest stages of dementia continuously, and discusses clinical, technological, ethical, regulatory, and user-centered requirements for collecting real-world evidence in future randomized controlled trials. Challenges of data safety, quality, and privacy and regulatory requirements need to be addressed by future smart sensor technologies. When these requirements are satisfied, these technologies will provide access to truly user relevant outcomes and broader cohorts of participants than currently sampled in clinical trials