ChatGPT is not at all reliable for pulling in scientific information - in fact it is not able to pull Google-able real information. Its database is very limited and for everything it doesn't know the answer to, it simply makes something up!

Here is an example: I asked ChatGPT what is the difference between scorpionfish and stonefish and a bunch of follow up questions. They were answered in a "seemingly" reliable way. But when I asked if any of these two species are on the IUCN vulnerable or endangered list, it said yes. I asked for "any examples?",  it returned 4 results with actual species scientific names for each category (BTW - I was just testing if it could understand my 2x2 question, I am an HCI expert, so I was just curious). However, a quick Google search returned that these species were actually of "Least Concern". Partially fake information is even more dangerous than 100% fake.  I would have so much preferred if ChatGPT had said, "I am not sure, why don't you Google that..."At least it had the decency to admit the mistake and apologise when caught ;-)

So, please do not use ChatGPT to write grant proposals or any of the other ambitious use cases mentioned in this forum by relying on the data it returns - not without googling and validating everything yourself! At least not yet. When ChatGPT gets married to Alexa :-) and can search and analyse web information reliably, then we will be one step closer to an indeed powerful tool for searching and composing information for grants, reviews, reports etc. Even then, scientists will still need to be able to trace and validate the data sources.

Super initiative! I hope you get a lot of entries to this coding challenge!

Hi,

I'm the UX researcher at Rainforest Connection (RFCx). I use research methods such as interviews, usability testing, and card sorting to understand scientists' pain points and needs while using the bioacoustic monitoring platform, Arbimon. 

In terms of tools, I use Figjam for brainstorming and mapping, Notion for a research repository, Zoom for interviews, and Figma for prototyping. I'm exploring how to use ChatGPT to speed up my process too! I use it to draft recruitment emails, summarize transcripts etc. I try to use tools that are either low-cost or that RFCx already has subscriptions of. 

Since I'm a UX team of one, I also partner with University student groups/practicum courses to let UX students take on some of our projects. 

Feel free to reach out; I'm always happy to chat.

Hi @Sicily_Fiennes,

Over the past several years, I have explored how to design engaging and useful tools for the exploration of audio recording to locate calls of a particular bird species (i.e. Eastern bristlebirds). I worked to understand the practices of a species recovery team, as well as their experiences trialling audio recorders and analysis. Additionally, I explored knowledge of birders and broader audiences, and how this relates to them making sense of audio recordings and broader nature media (e.g. distribution maps and photographs of birds). My methods to understand these included semistructured interviews, artifact exploration (very low fidelity prototyping), and ethnographically inspired participant-observer fieldwork. I also took some inspiration from design research approaches such as contextual inquiry, cultural/technical probes, and more. My background prior to being a design researcher was in ecology, conservation, and environmental education, so I drew from that expertise to understand a little-known bird species and the role of technology in supporting people in becoming familiar with it. Most of my work was positioned within the field of Interaction Design, publishing via Human-Computer Interaction, Designing Interactive Systems, and Computer Supported Cooperative Work outlets (i.e. rather than UX/UI). If interested in knowing more, perhaps have a look at papers I was the first author on that are listed here, and a few videos here. My research highlights the importance of understanding the situation, knowledge, experiences, and needs of different groups of people to design enticing and useful technologies that foster learning, cooperation, and integration into existing practices. In my experience, people are sometimes compelled to be more open and creative when not interacting with technologies that can be perceived as expensive and polished products. 

I'd be happy to chat with you if you wanted! My expertise is within passive acoustic monitoring particularly. The Conservation Tech Directory might be useful for you in identifying relevant actors within the space.

Happy to contribute [email protected] 

My original background is in ecology and conservation, and am now in the elected leadership of the Gathering for Open Science Hardware which convenes researchers developing open source tech for science. I am not working on a specific piece of technology right now, but am happy to contribute some higher-level views for your interview if that helps.