Start Phase

It starts with an obvious problem, an unanswered question, or a tip from the public. This leads to a question that can be answered with the help of information from as many citizens as possible. The initial phase is about formulating the answer to the question: What do we want to know?.

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An example — 'Achtung, Schulweg!' 🎒

Let's take the research project 'Achtung, Schulweg!' as an example. It started with a letter from a reader complaining that her eight-year-old son couldn't walk to school alone because he had to cross a wide street with no traffic lights or crosswalks. Others at the editorial office had similar stories to tell.

This led to the desire to use crowdsourced research to find out what the situation is like for school routes in Switzerland. The research question was: Where in Switzerland are there dangerous spots on the way to school, and what kind of dangers are there? All questions in the crowdsourced research must contribute to answering this research question.

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What else happens in the initial phase? 🤔

In the initial phase, all fundamental questions that are important for the crowdsourced research are clarified. In addition to the crucial question 'What do we want to know?', this includes the following questions:

Who do we want to interview? There is often a specific group of people who can answer the research question. In the case of school routes, these were mainly parents and grandparents, and in some cases teachers or other road users.

Which partnerships with civil society can help reach this target group? Groups that have a strong interest in improving a problem are good candidates. In our example, these are parent initiatives or organizations that campaign for greater road safety. These groups should be contacted at an early stage and are often willing to share their expertise or promote the research.

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How many resources do I need for crowdsourced research? 🧑‍💻

In the initial phase, you need to select the team that will take care of the research. If possible, this should include someone who is particularly familiar with the city and/or the topic as a reporter, or who has the capacity to acquire the necessary knowledge. Someone with experience in data journalism is an advantage, as is someone with a background in graphics/design.

An intern or working student can also provide support with evaluation and verification. The number of hours required depends on the complexity of the topic and the number of questions.

The research on school routes, for example, could be carried out with a very small team of up to one person in six weeks, especially since the most important graphic—the interactive map of dangerous spots—was automatically generated by beabee's CrowdNewsroom.

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What do I need to research beforehand? 🔎

In the initial phase, you and your editorial team research the situation on the ground. This will help you avoid asking questions that have already been answered, for example in the form of statistics. Instead, try to ask questions that reinforce the relevance of your research question in order to encourage readers to participate.

In the example of the school route research: How many children have had accidents in your city recently? Were there any specific incidents or examples that could serve as material for an introductory article?