If you were affected by Hurricane Sandy, says IQSS affiliate David Lazer, your help is welcome in a crowd-sourced study on how people respond in hurricanes, earthquakes, and other large-scale emergencies. Lazer, Associate Professor of Public Policy and director of the Program on Networked Governance, has launched a study in which participants load an app onto their Android phones, which will ask them about their experience during Hurricane Sandy and look at their calling and texting behaviors.
"I think there is the possibility to do great science here that is potentially consequential for people's lives," says Lazer, "that can inform interventions that will help people."
The app is currently available in the Google Play Store. More information on the study can be found at the Complexity and Social Networks Blog, as well as at the newly-launched Volunteer Science website.
