Communities can record the frequency, intensity and type of odour that they experience and combine the individual observations of many to build a clear picture of the issue. As more citizens are involved in sharing their findings, or data, the level of subjectivity is reduced.

Citizen Science (CS) is a flexible, innovative and effective approach based on the engagement in scientific processes of people who do not work professionally in the relative field of study. Giving the citizens the opportunity to observe their environment and share information, CS projects create scientific knowledge outside institutionalized science.