Research Guides: Citizen Science Tools: Start Here

Citation Management Tools

Citation managers help you collect, organize, cite, and share research. Click on the links below for guidance on using these tools.

Zotero Guide
Free and open tool.
Mendeley Guide
Free tool. Researchers can pay for additional storage.
Endnote Guide
Online version is free. Paid desktop app is available.

Learning Opportunities

For help learning these tools, contact an expert listed on the tool's guide or sign up for one of our workshops:

How to Use This Guide

This guide covers tools for collecting and analyzing data as a citizen scientist. However, it should be noted that several of these tools require time to becomes skilled users of the tools.

Mapping Tools

Story Maps
Mapping and storytelling tool in one.
Data Basin
Geographic Information System (GIS) online storage repository for mapping data
QGIS Open Source Mapping Program
A powerful open source Geographic Information System mapping tool. This system requires the investment of time to learn to use.
Google Earth
Great aerial ( plane /satellite) imagery and data of the world with some data sets going back to 1930s.

Remotely Sensed Data Tools / Satellite Imagery & Data

Google Earth
NASA World View
NOAA Satellite and Information Services
USGS Global Visualization Viewer
A fairly easy to use interface for obtaining LANDSAT, MODIS, and other Satellite captured images of Earth.
USGS Earth Explorer
A comprehensive interface tool for acquiring USGS, NASA, NOAA, and European Space Agency imagery and data. It requires some knowledge of the various satellites and sensor systems involved in remote sensing to efficiently find desired images. Registration is required for downloading data.
Eurepean Space Agency - Copernicus Data Hub
Data portal to the European Space Agency's (ESA) satellite imagery from the Sentinel 1, 2, 3, and 5 satellites. Free to use but registration is required

Statistical Analysis

R - Statiscal Anlysis Tool
A programming environment for simple to complex statistical analysis and display of data. Moderately easy to install and run on a computer.
Jupyter Note-book
A programming and data-logging environment for recording and analyzing data. This system can require higher degree of comfort installing software systems using a command line
GitHub
A repository for computer scripts, programs, and project descriptions for data analysis, sharing, and archiving