Tips to create a “How To” video for your citizen science project.

SciStarter is curating “How To” videos for citizen science.

Many of the featured projects’ leaders recorded their own video on a smart phone! You can, too! Help people understand how to do your project by showing them a brief video tutorial. Here are tips to consider:

  • Introduce yourself and what you do.
  • Briefly describe the goal of your project and how it will help society.
  • State where people can participate (anywhere? at a park, near streams, etc.) and approximately how much time is needed to prepare and to participate.
  • Show any required or recommended materials (sensors, water testing kit, etc)
  • Briefly walk the participant through a step-by-step process and, if possible, demonstrate the project.
  • Share results (or predicted results) from your project to date.
  • Thank viewers and invite them to get started on your project’s page on SciStarter (we will embed the video there and provide you with analytics on views and clicks, etc).

Would you prefer to hire the services of a video producer? Lea Shell, SciStarter’s Education Program Co-Director is available-for-hire to produce your video. Here’s one she created for  Urban Buzz! 

Feel free to email Lea directly about pricing and scheduling for a video.

Leonora Shell
@DoRealScience

Education Program Co-Director
SciStarter.com

Categories: About Us, SciStarter News, videos

About the author:

Caroline Nickerson, PhD

Caroline Nickerson is a program specialist at SciStarter, where she assists with the Citizen Science Month Program, SciStarter’s Corporate Volunteer Programs and other programmatic and outreach efforts, including working with SciStarter’s Syndicated Blog Network, which encompasses the Discover Magazine and SciStarter platforms. Caroline holds a PhD from the University of Florida. At UF, Caroline worked on multiple projects, including a climate change communication project and a certification for pollinator-friendly plants. She has worked with SciStarter in various capacities, including as Senior Program Director at SciStarter where she managed the Citizen Science Month Program, SciStarter’s Corporate Volunteer Programs and other programmatic and outreach efforts, including working with SciStarter’s Syndicated Blog Network, which encompasses the Discover Magazine and SciStarter platforms, as well as large-scale programs with multiple federal agencies (including NASA, NOAA, and the National Library of Medicine) and global groups (including the United Nations Environment Programme).

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