Crowdsourcing Research Network

CRN@RMIT is the premier network for crowdsourcing-related research and innovation at RMIT. Our mission is to bring together creative, passionate, and motivated individuals to explore ways by which cutting-edge research, innovation, and policy across scales and domains can help solve the most pressing challenges in urban future.

About CRN@RMIT

Crowdsourcing is the practice of obtaining information, goods or services by soliciting contributions from a wide range of people, usually via online platforms. A relatively new practice - the term crowdsourcing was coined around 2005 - it is rapidly proving to be an important tool in an increasingly urbanised world. New applications are constantly being developed to engage the public in ways that can improve people's lives and wellbeing. Disaster resilience/ humanitarian relief; business and law; health; education and employment are areas being transformed with the aid of IoT/Smart Cities/ Citizens as Sensors; the innovative use of mapping and spatial data; the rise of citizen science and research; as well as gamification.

Crowdsourcing is offering new collaborative models such as sharing economy, Blockchain technology, and other creative participatory models. These are introducing and providing new ways of civic engagement, shifting the citizen’s influence levels beyond just participation/inclusion to more collaborative and empowerment solutions.

 

CRN@RMIT aims to:

  • Facilitate information sharing and expand communications about research interests and opportunities in this area;
  • Develop linkages and collaborative partnerships between academic researchers and community organizations; and
  • Provide capacity building and ongoing support for conducting collaborative research.    
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CRN@RMIT connects researchers, industry partners and community members from different disciplinary backgrounds working or interested in conducting research on collective intelligence, civic engagement, citizen science and crowdsourcing strategies to serve bottom-up participatory transformation of our cities.

Research Domains

Drawing on fields from disaster resilience to public health, from business to governance and law, and from citizen science to design and creative practices, CRN@RMIT is not focused on answers, rather it aims to develop new ways of problem-solving methods based on crowdsourcing and collective intelligence. We have a very diverse group of people in our network, coming from nine different schools at RMIT University, industry and the public sector. 

The domains are based on the research areas, skills and capabilities of the members of CRN members to help us scoping future direction of CRN@RMIT activities and how shared learning can happen across these fields.

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Our people

Meet the wide range of people that make up the Crowdsourcing Research Network.

Join CRN@RMIT’s LinkedIn Group

Get involved in our discussions and collaborative space in sharing new ideas and future directions in the field. 

Join CRN@RMIT

Connect with RMIT Research

If you're not sure how you can best work with us, our team can explain what's possible and put you in touch with the right person. 

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.