Project 2463: M. A. O’Leary, K. Alphonse, A. H. Mariangeles, D. Cavaliere, A. Cirranello, T. G. Dietterich, M. Julius, S. Kaufman, E. Law, M. Passarotti, A. Reft, J. Robalino, N. B. Simmons, S. Y. Smith, D. W. Stevenson, E. Theriot, P. M. Velazco, R. L. Walls, M. Yu, M. Daly. 2018. Crowds Replicate Performance of Scientific Experts Scoring Phylogenetic Matrices of Phenotypes. Systematic Biology. 67 (1):49-60.
Abstract
Scientists building the Tree of Life face an overwhelming challenge to categorize phenotypes (e.g., anatomy, physiology) from millions of living and fossil species. This biodiversity challenge far outstrips the capacities of trained scientific experts. Here we explore whether crowdsourcing can be used to collect matrix data on a large scale with the participation of the non-expert students, or “citizen scientists.” Crowdsourcing, or data collection by non-experts, frequently via the internet, has enabled scientists to tackle some large-scale data collection challenges too massive for individuals or scientific teams alone. The quality of work by non-expert crowds is, however, often questioned and little data has been collected on how such crowds perform on complex tasks such as phylogenetic character coding. We studied a crowd of over 600 non-experts, and found that they could use images to identify anatomical similarity (hypotheses of homology) with an average accuracy of 82% compared to scores provided by experts in the field. This performance pattern held across the Tree of Life, from protists to vertebrates. We introduce a procedure that predicts the difficulty of each character and that can be used to assign harder characters to experts and easier characters to a non-expert crowd for scoring. We test this procedure in a controlled experiment comparing crowd scores to those of experts and show that crowds can produce matrices with over 90% of cells scored correctly while reducing the number of cells to be scored by experts by 50%. Preparation time, including image collection and processing, for a crowdsourcing experiment is significant, and does not currently save time of scientific experts overall. However, if innovations in automation or robotics can reduce such effort, then large-scale implementation of our method could greatly increase the collective scientific knowledge of species phenotypes for phylogenetic tree building. For the field of crowdsourcing, we provide a rare study with ground truth, or an experimental control that many studies lack, and contribute new methods on how to coordinate the work of experts and non-experts. We show that there are important instances in which crowd consensus is not a good proxy for correctness.Read the article »
Article DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syx052
Project DOI: 10.7934/P2463, http://dx.doi.org/10.7934/P2463
This project contains | Matrices |
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Download Project SDD File | Total scored cells: 98 Total media associated with cells: 100 Total labels associated with cell media: 3 |
Characters | |
Total characters: 5 Total characters with associated media: 5 Total characters with media with labels: 0 Total character states: 15 Total character states with associated media: 15 Total character states with media with labels:0 Total unordered/ordered characters:5/0 |
Currently Viewing:
MorphoBank Project 2463
MorphoBank Project 2463
- Creation Date:
28 June 2016 - Publication Date:
30 May 2017 - Project views: 119769
- Media downloads: 1
- Matrix downloads: 3
This research
supported by
Authors' Institutions
- Ohio State University
- Oregon State University
- University of Arizona
- University of Michigan
- University of Texas at Austin
- University of Waterloo
- American Museum of Natural History
- Drexel University
- Kenx Technology Inc
- New York Botanical Garden
- St. Cloud State University
- Stony Brook University
- Whirl-i-gig
- College of William and Mary
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Members
member name | taxa | specimens | media | chars | character
| cell scorings (scored, NPA, "-") | cell
| rules | ||||||
Ramona Walls Project Administrator | 20 | 56 | 254 | 5 | 20 | 0 | 98 (98, 0, 0) | 100 | 3 | 0 | ||||
Dario Cavaliere Full membership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0, 0, 0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Maureen O'Leary Full membership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0, 0, 0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Selena Smith Observer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0, 0, 0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Dennis Stevenson Full membership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0, 0, 0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Taxonomic Overview for Matrix 'M24092' (20 Taxa)
taxon | unscored cells |
scored cells |
no cell support |
NPA cells |
"-" cells | cell images | labels on cell images |
member access |
[1] Lapageria rosea Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
[2] Drymophila moorei Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[3] Alstroemeria pelegrina Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[4] Schelhammera multiflora Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[5] Drymophila cyanocarpa Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[6] Paris quadrifolia Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[7] Tricyrtis formosana Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[8] Erythronium japonicum Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[9] Alstroemeria aurentiaca Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[10] Calochortus apiculatus Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[11] Clintonia borealis Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[12] Erythronium americanum Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[13] Heterosmilax gaudichaudiana Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[14] Lilium martagon Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[15] Lilium speciosum Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[16] Philesia magellanica Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[17] Ripogonum album Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[18] Smilax herbacea Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[19] Streptopus streptopoides japonica Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
[20] Veratrum album oxysepalum Last Modified in 06/29/16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Project views
type | number of views | Individual items viewed (where applicable) |
Total project views | 119769 | |
Media views | 74955 | Media search (3824 views); M424055 (447 views); M424091 (346 views); M424087 (396 views); M424114 (359 views); M424092 (340 views); M424037 (450 views); M424068 (381 views); M424089 (365 views); M424029 (464 views); M424101 (353 views); M424116 (349 views); M424097 (487 views); M424079 (348 views); M424113 (422 views); M424043 (451 views); M424027 (431 views); M424086 (364 views); M424080 (368 views); M424082 (366 views); M424023 (467 views); M424038 (434 views); M424036 (454 views); M424026 (419 views); M424022 (446 views); M424076 (374 views); M424024 (447 views); M424093 (360 views); M424032 (425 views); M424081 (337 views); M424108 (380 views); M424053 (442 views); M424104 (346 views); M424057 (434 views); M424070 (370 views); M424054 (462 views); M424039 (424 views); M424109 (402 views); M424105 (364 views); M424044 (460 views); M424117 (339 views); M424056 (432 views); M424085 (530 views); M424040 (449 views); M424106 (366 views); M424096 (362 views); M424107 (370 views); M424084 (371 views); M424034 (422 views); M424062 (370 views); M424073 (465 views); M424061 (400 views); M424050 (425 views); M424025 (484 views); M424120 (385 views); M424094 (357 views); M424065 (403 views); M424066 (408 views); M424111 (351 views); M424095 (500 views); M424030 (458 views); M424045 (500 views); M424051 (454 views); M424067 (411 views); M424028 (427 views); M424041 (450 views); M424103 (374 views); M424069 (393 views); M424046 (539 views); M424098 (388 views); M424118 (340 views); M424072 (404 views); M424063 (407 views); M424048 (443 views); M424102 (357 views); M424052 (458 views); M424047 (462 views); M424042 (435 views); M424099 (376 views); M424077 (363 views); M424090 (426 views); M424112 (365 views); M424074 (375 views); M424121 (508 views); M424075 (369 views); M424115 (373 views); M424110 (375 views); M424071 (349 views); M424033 (430 views); M424035 (456 views); M424083 (367 views); M424088 (370 views); M424064 (415 views); M424215 (352 views); M424177 (206 views); M424157 (236 views); M424176 (235 views); M424189 (227 views); M424058 (456 views); M424245 (226 views); M424135 (238 views); M424140 (239 views); M424199 (232 views); M424168 (406 views); M424155 (248 views); M424219 (244 views); M424196 (235 views); M424214 (249 views); M424239 (229 views); M424031 (450 views); M424078 (363 views); M424049 (457 views); M424123 (241 views); M424198 (354 views); M424156 (231 views); M424205 (253 views); M424241 (218 views); M424142 (232 views); M424174 (213 views); M424166 (233 views); M424235 (249 views); M424127 (228 views); M424206 (232 views); M424175 (240 views); M424237 (225 views); M424179 (226 views); M424183 (231 views); M424218 (249 views); M424232 (224 views); M424150 (234 views); M424170 (244 views); M424213 (236 views); M424216 (336 views); M424129 (242 views); M424178 (238 views); M424143 (234 views); M424185 (364 views); M424191 (234 views); M424195 (236 views); M424242 (236 views); M424246 (224 views); M424172 (244 views); M424221 (233 views); M424186 (258 views); M424148 (239 views); M424152 (243 views); M424229 (237 views); M424230 (204 views); M424180 (226 views); M424160 (238 views); M424163 (236 views); M424224 (243 views); M424154 (218 views); M424132 (242 views); M424169 (253 views); M424059 (441 views); M424228 (237 views); M424240 (245 views); M424208 (232 views); M424220 (228 views); M424197 (235 views); M424194 (231 views); M424149 (233 views); M424225 (229 views); M424211 (241 views); M424244 (209 views); M424161 (241 views); M424203 (228 views); M424234 (230 views); M424137 (233 views); M424171 (236 views); M424147 (226 views); M424153 (276 views); M424133 (239 views); M424187 (246 views); M424159 (235 views); M424226 (228 views); M424122 (238 views); M424141 (230 views); M424060 (438 views); M424190 (231 views); M424119 (362 views); M424164 (248 views); M424212 (229 views); M424192 (234 views); M424162 (235 views); M424201 (226 views); M424222 (236 views); M424130 (229 views); M424167 (241 views); M424165 (228 views); M424200 (236 views); M424202 (237 views); M424209 (240 views); M424207 (232 views); M424181 (231 views); M424138 (230 views); M424145 (256 views); M424223 (222 views); M424182 (236 views); M424238 (234 views); M424131 (234 views); M424100 (366 views); M424146 (262 views); M424158 (234 views); M424231 (226 views); M424151 (232 views); M424243 (237 views); M424204 (237 views); M424128 (235 views); M424144 (221 views); M424173 (229 views); M424236 (237 views); M424193 (231 views); M424227 (230 views); M424188 (229 views); M424217 (371 views); M424136 (236 views); M424139 (228 views); M424210 (236 views); M424124 (246 views); M424134 (228 views); M424126 (219 views); M424125 (239 views); M424184 (358 views); M424233 (229 views); M424273 (2 views); M424264 (2 views); M424268 (2 views); M424271 (1 view); M424274 (2 views); M424261 (1 view); M424248 (1 view); M424251 (8 views); M424259 (1 view); M424262 (1 view); M424270 (1 view); M424258 (1 view); M424256 (1 view); M424252 (2 views); M424250 (1 view); M424265 (1 view); M424272 (1 view); M424266 (3 views); M424247 (1 view); M424249 (2 views); M424255 (1 view); M424263 (1 view); M424254 (1 view); M424260 (1 view); M424257 (1 view); M424253 (1 view); M424269 (1 view); M424275 (1 view); M424267 (1 view); |
Matrix views | 1414 | Matrix landing page (1120 views); monocot floral characters for crowd sourcing (294 views); |
Project overview | 2326 | |
Taxon list | 7938 | |
Specimen list | 28707 | |
Views for media list | 2506 | |
Documents list | 1057 | |
Bibliography | 866 |
Project downloads
type | number of downloads | Individual items downloaded (where applicable) |
Total downloads from project | 222 | |
Project downloads | 216 | |
Document downloads | 2 | Supplementary Material (2 downloads); |
Matrix downloads | 3 | monocot floral characters for crowd sourcing (3 downloads); |
Media downloads | 1 | M424078 (1 download); |