Dr. Ricker's (Asst. Prof, UW Tacoma Urban Studies) abstract follows:
Bird’s-eye photovoice: The use of unmanned aerial vehicles for participatory action research and citizen science
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), often referred to as ‘drones’, are becoming increasingly accessible to the general public due to their diminishing costs and improved ease of use. Physical sciences have a legacy of utilizing these platforms for environmental monitoring. However, in social science the term “drone” still hold a negative connotations. Here I pose the question: (How) can drones be used for community based, participatory action research and/or citizen science?To answer this question, I position the use of drones into the context of community based action research by illustrating how their use could augment existing data collection methods including participatory mapping and photo voice