EDMOND DUSHI, MARGARITA IFTI, GENTIAN RUCI
KEYWORDS : Citizen seismology, earthquake data collection, mobile application, collaborative research, sociological analysis
ABSTRACT :
Citizen science is a collaborative research approach involving researchers and citizens in scientific projects, encompassing various activities from data collection to analysis and interpretation of results. Citizen seismology, a branch of citizen science in seismology, engages citizens in scientific projects alongside seismologists. During earthquakes, affected individuals serve as the primary source of information regarding the felt shaking and observed
damages. The data provided by citizens holds dual significance: it aids in sociological and risk management analyses, elucidating “how the population reacted to the event”, and contributes to seismological analyses by documenting visible earthquake effects. Thus, citizen seismology fosters collaboration between seismologists and non-scientists, facilitated by advancements in connection technologies such as the internet, social media, and mobile applications. Here, we introduce a mobile application developed in collaboration with ARK IT for collecting earthquake data, focusing on citizens’ perceptions of seismic events. We also discuss potential avenues for future research and development in this field.