Processing our increasingly large datasets poses a bottleneck for producing real scientific outcomes and citizen science - engaging the public in research - provides a solution, particularly when coupled with automated routines. In this talk we will provide a broad overview of citizen science approaches and best practices. We will also highlight in particular recent advances through Zooniverse, the world’s largest platform for online citizen science, engaging more than 1.7 million volunteers in tasks including discovering exoplanets, identifying features on Mars’ surface, transcribing artist’s notebooks, and tracking resistance to antibiotics.