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Exploring the impact of game framing and task framing on user participation in citizen science projects

Jian Tang (School of Information, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China)
Nathan R. Prestopnik (Department of Computer Science, Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York, USA)

Aslib Journal of Information Management

ISSN: 2050-3806

Article publication date: 10 May 2019

Issue publication date: 10 May 2019

1011

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how game framing and task framing influence experienced meaningfulness (eudaimonia) and perceived enjoyment (hedonia), which, in turn, can account for user participation behavior in citizen science projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors designed and implemented a citizen science system, Citizen Sort, and used a survey method to investigate to what extent game framing and task framing influence participation behavior. PLS–SEM was used to test research hypotheses with 76 Citizen Sort participants.

Findings

Analysis confirmed that game framing and task framing have a significant impact on perceived enjoyment, but showed that only task framing has a direct effect on experienced meaningfulness. The effects of experienced meaningfulness on participation were fully mediated by perceived enjoyment. Content analysis of qualitative data revealed additional insights.

Research limitations/implications

This research is limited due to its sample size and considered as an exploratory study, in which PLS–SEM was used to identify the impact of game framing and task framing as well as support the theory development regarding the dual nature of citizen science games.

Practical implications

This research provided suggestions for scientists, designers and project initiators that game framing and task framing should be effectively integrated to provide enjoyable and meaningful experiences so as to promote user contribution.

Originality/value

This research is one of initial studies which explored the impact of dual nature of citizen science games. The findings of this study provide the groundwork for guidelines and strategies to facilitate user contribution in citizen science projects.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This current research and collaboration were supported by the Ministry of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences Council in China (Grant Number 18YJCZH160) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Number 71774083). The Citizen Sort system development, implementation, maintenance and research were supported by the US National Science Foundation under Grant No. SOCS 09-68470. The authors would like to thank Citizen Sort’s principal investigators Kevin Crowston and Jun Wang for their support and guidance, as well as the research and development team for their efforts on this project: Nathan Brown, Chris Duarte, Susan Furest, Jiayan Guo, Yang Liu, Supriya Mane, Nitin Mule, Gongying Pu, Trupti Rane, Jimit Shah, Sheila Sicilia, Jessica Smith, Dania Souid, Peiyuan Sun, Rui Wei, Xueqing Xuan, Meihua Yu, Shu Zhang, Zhiruo Zhao and Xuhong Zhu. The authors would also like to thank the following for their advice and assistance: Jennifer Hammock, Nancy Lowe, John Pickering and Andrea Wiggins.

Citation

Tang, J. and Prestopnik, N.R. (2019), "Exploring the impact of game framing and task framing on user participation in citizen science projects", Aslib Journal of Information Management, Vol. 71 No. 2, pp. 260-280. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-09-2018-0214

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited

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