Crowd sourcing explained: BugGuide as a model for extension diagnostics

Most land-grant universities have faculty or staff identifying insects, plant diseases, mushrooms, plants and more. As mobile devices become ubiquitous, people are collecting information and learning about their world in a whole new way. Identifying an insect now only requires a quick picture and email or text to an extension specialist. Extension personnel are hard-pressed to keep up with the pictures filling our inboxes asking things like "what is this that bit me?" or "why is this part of my field stunted?" Email with attached pictures is the primary way many extension specialists handle these questions, but is it the best way?  The inquiries come in faster than we can handle and many requests are for very basic identifications.

Crowdsourcing platforms like BugGuide enable us to engage with our clients and simultaneously share information more widely, allowing many people to help and join the discussion.  This broadens impact and educational value. BugGuide uses dedicated, unpaid volunteers and moderators accomplish all of the identifications and organization. Platforms like BugGuide have the potential to revolutionize extension diagnostics and allow diagnostics to better integrate into efforts such as pre-collegiate STEM curriculum.