Opportunities for using the crowdsourcing method in research and development – general information and tips on where to look for inspiration or how to directly engage in activities using this tool.
Platforms that enable large groups of people to work on challenges already exist, including examples like IdeaScale, InnoCentive, and Kaggle. These platforms allow mainly companies to create projects based on crowdsourcing. They also offer additional functionalities such as project management, monitoring project progress, internal project team communication, and a range of other features. Utilizing collective intelligence allows for faster problem-solving, value creation, selection of the best solutions, and even fundraising.
The advantages of crowdsourcing include time savings (groups generate ideas much faster), as well as access to a wide range of perspectives and ideas (multiple viewpoints, originality of submitted solutions, out-of-the-box approaches), gathering insights about consumers’ needs and expectations, building an engaged community, and marketing and promotional benefits.
Additional strengths of such platforms include the ability to build a community that, through engagement in the project, contributes diverse experiences and knowledge, boosting creativity and innovation. Another important aspect is accelerating the research or development process, as tasks are distributed and performed simultaneously by many people, leading to time and resource savings. Various types of surveys, which are essential in research processes, can also be efficiently carried out through crowdsourcing platforms.
However, it is important to note that the use of crowdsourcing in research and development also comes with certain challenges. One of them is the need to manage a large number of participants and tasks. Many projects require appropriate task definitions and result evaluations to ensure quality and consistency. Additionally, there is a risk of losing control over the project, especially if the community is very large and it becomes difficult to supervise all participants. Therefore, only selected types of research or specific stages should be considered for implementation via such platforms.
To effectively use crowdsourcing in research and development, there are several practical tips. Firstly, it is important to clearly define the project’s goals and expectations towards the community. Then, tasks should be properly structured, and participants must have access to the right tools and information. Communication with community members is crucial — it is essential to provide regular updates and answers to questions. Finally, participants should be rewarded for their contributions, for example through a points system or competitions.
The most effective crowdsourcing platforms are considered to be those co-created by practitioners and bringing together specialists with professional knowledge and experience in a given field.