The uses of gamification in the cognitive mobilization of online citizen science

Objective: This work researched the application of gamification in online citizen science, where the dynamic of the game elements composing the interfaces of the chosen initiatives was observed, as well as their use to promote participation and maintenance of acting and engagement of the citizen scientists. Method: For this study, the projects were selected considering experiences which employed image classification tasks and where some significant decisions were necessary to be taken by the participants. Results: The main game resources employed in the researched experiences were the points, the badges and the leaderboards, where it was possible to identify that both the contributions provided by the participants and the global results achieved with those projects were inaccessible to them in almost all initiatives considered. Conclusions: On one hand, it was possible to identify that gamification use is capable to enhance the amount of people involved as well as their participation time in the proposed activities, acting as a motivational complement, through the rewards offered for the participation. On the other hand, it is also an instrumental tool directing the participants' actions, through the choices available in the interfaces of the projects.