A working version of a study by the VOLCROWE team into the motivations of Zooniverse users is now available online via SSRN.

The study investigates motivations to volunteer for Zooniverse projects and the relationship between these motivations and levels of participation.  The study uses survey data from a representative sample of Zooniverse users across five projects (Galaxy Zoo, Planet Hunters, Snapshot Serengeti, Seafloor Explorer and Penguin Watch) and measures motivations using the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI).  These measures are subsequently used to model individual-level variations in contributions to these projects.

The study finds evidence that the ‘undertanding’ motivation (i.e. learning) is the most significant determinant of variations in contribution levels – in other words, those who want to learn more tend to contribute more classifications over longer periods.

As well as acessing the study via SSRN, you can also download a copy of the paper directly from the VOLCROWE website here.