Connecting Researchers with Citizen Scientists

Lapis Guides is a unique new tool that allows organisations, companies, projects and researchers to create interactive field guides with photographs, descriptions and maps, which can be used by specialists and non-specialists alike – the latter serving as ‘citizen scientists’ – to study and address a wide range of purposes.

As a platform app, with each digital field guide created by users embedded within it (available as in-app downloads), the Lapis Guides platform serves three main functions. It will most commonly be used as a digital field guide, each user choosing which specific in-app guides to download. The platform also allows users to create new field guides according to their own interests. Thirdly, the platform enables ‘citizen scientists’ to work with researchers by collecting new data about specific research topics and questions, with data stored and accessed (and available for download by the project managers) through this website.

The Lapis Guides platform and the field guides that are created can be used in an infinite number of ways – including surveys and scientific studies on biodiversity and wildlife, the spread of invasive species, plant phenologies, climate change indicators, linguistic patterns, cultural heritage, and more.

With just a bit of creativity, your research interests and projects can almost certainly be strengthened through this platform, Lapis Guides. Take a look at the projects we are enabling or supporting and see if you can get involved!

Lapis Guides: More than just a field guide!