Developing a Citizen Science Method to Collect Whole Turkey Thermometer Usage Behaviors

Citizen science is a unique data collection method in which non-scientists gather and interpret data in collaboration with professional scientists. The purpose of this study was to identify thermometer usage behaviors through a different process for data collection. Most thermometeer usage studies happen through self-reported, quantitative studies. Recently, some studies have used qualitative data such as videos, picture quantitative data has been used to supplement it. A food safety lesson on minimum internal temperature and correct thermo- meter usage was conducted with high school biology classes in Pennsylvania and family and consumer sciences classes in both North Carolina and Pennsylvania prior to the schools’ Thanksgiving break of 2016. As homework, students inputted data into a web-based form on thermometer usage and endpoint cooking temperatures for whole turkeys. Students were asked for picture evidence of how/where the temperature of the turkey was taken. If a photo was provided, students were asked how they knew the turkey was “done.” Four types of thermometers were used: dial (n = 22), pop-up (n = 13), digital (n = 11), and liquid (n = 1); two thermometers were of an undetermined type. Of respondents, 31.5% (18 of 57) reported an internal endpoint temperature of 165°F, and 7.01% (4 of 57) reported endpoint temperatures of less than 165°F. Respondents submitted photos showing different thermometer placements, with 53.1% (17 of 32) placing the thermometer in the breast, 35.3% (12 of 34) in the thigh, and 14.7% (5 of 34) undetermined. Our data confirms that citizen science is a viable method of collecting unbiased data obtained by providing participants with tools to collect information from a primary and a photographically substantiated source of information rather than relying on self-reported data alone.