Title Information
Title
Incorporating Lived Experience from Residents of Providence, Rhode Island into the Scientific Method
Abstract
Many people in the United States feel disconnected from the scientific process. With climate change leading to more environmental extremes, the public wants to both understand the science and be informed about how to protect their health. While many scientific outlets provide public-facing information, most scientific studies treat the public as participants, not as collaborators. The Breathe Providence project is a hyperlocal air monitoring study in Providence, Rhode Island. The air monitoring network focuses on areas of the city where asthma rates are elevated and air quality data has historically been very limited. In addition to monitoring common air pollutants, the project has participated in collaborative data generation with residents. The collaborative data collection focused on the issue of noxious odors, which residents associate with pollution and harm. Through a variety of methods and materials, we encouraged residents to document their air pollution experiences. We will present findings from the residents and how this has influenced investigations of the air pollutant data. We will also share knowledge gained from workshops done within the community to educate and engage a variety of audiences. Data collection methods included using an app called Smell My City, which allowed residents to report when they encountered odors, what they smelled like, and any associated health symptoms. Another method was the creation of a “Smellage” to visually represent sources and locations of noxious odors. Other activities included a DIY air filter outreach event and experiments using handheld air monitors. Ultimately, our work is dedicated to raising awareness of solutions that meet residents’ concerns based on a reciprocal research process that incorporates residents’ data into the scientific process.
Name: Personal
Name Part
Asiah Donahue
Role
Role Term: Text
creator
Name: Personal
Name Part
Dr. Meredith Hastings
Role
Role Term: Text
advisor
affiliation
Brown University. DEEPS
Name: Corporate
Name Part
Leadership Alliance-Summer Research Early Identification Program (SR-EIP)
Role
Role Term: Text
research program
Subject (fast) (authorityURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast", valueURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/01082238")
Topic
Public health
Subject (fast) (authorityURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast", valueURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/00802083")
Topic
Air--Pollution
Subject (fast) (authorityURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast", valueURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/01108196")
Topic
Science--Citizen participation
Language
Language Term: Text (ISO639-2B)
English
Type of Resource (primo)
text_resources
Genre (aat)
posters
Origin Information
Place
Place Term: Code (MARC Country Code)
riu
Place
Place Term: Text
Providence, RI
Publisher
Brown University
Date Created (keyDate="yes", encoding="w3cdtf")
2024
Physical Description
Extent
1 poster
digitalOrigin
born digital
Note: funding
Funding provided by Clean Air Fund
Access Condition: use and reproduction
All rights reserved
Access Condition: rights statement (href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/")
In Copyright
Access Condition: restriction on access
All Rights Reserved
Identifier: DOI
10.26300/ay2p-e832