Organizing from the Middle Out: Citizen Science in the National Parks

Abstract

This poster presents initial ndings from a dissertation pilot study on a citizen science project involving the public with scientists in collaborative research. The goal for the pilot study was familiarity with the contextual factors that in u- ence citizen science project design, and in turn, observing how the design choices contribute to the project's knowl- edge creation and participation outcomes. The initial results highlight an unexpected form of `middle-out' organizing that challenges assumptions about top-down and bottom-up or- ganizing, as the location of the top and bottom are clearly a matter of perspective in inter-organizational partnerships.