21 Jan 2018
By Jennifer Shirk
Free Webinar: Get ready for CitSciDay2018!

Free Webinar: Get ready for CitSciDay2018!

Webinars
Interested in hosting a 2018 Citizen Science Day event? Join us on February 14, 2018 to learn from both 2016 hosts and 2017 event organizers about planning Citizen Science Day activities at your site. The webinar provides an overview of Citizen Science Day, illustrates highlights from the past two years, provides a discussion of ideas and resources for hosting events and regional meet-ups, and, in general, helps you prepare for Citizen Science Day 2018. The webinar wraps up with a deep dive into resources available to help you with your Citizen Science Day event. Date: Wednesday, February 14th Time: 3-4pm…
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15 Jan 2018
By Jennifer Shirk
Data & Metadata: Working Group Report and Future Outlook

Data & Metadata: Working Group Report and Future Outlook

Data & Metadata
Cross-posted from the Wilson Center's Science & Technology Innovation Program blog, previewing a report by members of the Citizen Science Association's Data & Metadata Working Group. With the growth of citizen science comes the challenge of coordinating people, projects, and data. This challenge also presents an opportunity. Through the use of data and metadata standards and other mechanisms to promote interoperability, data can support multiple research questions, allowing citizen science to help address ever grander issues and problems on local, regional, national, and global scales. In 2015, the U.S.-based Citizen Science Association (CSA) founded a Data and Metadata Working Group.…
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12 Jan 2018
By Jennifer Shirk
AAAS Colloquium on Citizen Science, CSA Director's Remarks

AAAS Colloquium on Citizen Science, CSA Director's Remarks

AAPS News
From remarks by CSA's Interim Executive Director, Jennifer Shirk, at the  AAAS Citizen Science Colloquium (9 JAN 2018). Ordinarily I like to focus on achievements and successes, in part because there are so many to share and so many that don’t get enough attention. But others on this panel today can illustrate successes better than I can [Sam Droege, USGS; Allison Cawood, SERC; Paula Wang, Audubon Naturalist Society]. Instead, I’d like to set the stage with a timely challenge and a call to action, potentially for all of us here but particularly for our two Associations that share a deep…
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28 Dec 2017
By Jennifer Shirk
2017 CSA Top Ten Year in Review

2017 CSA Top Ten Year in Review

AAPS News
[sg_popup id="9" event="onload"][/sg_popup]2017 was a year of major milestones for CSA - here is our Top-10 run-down (in calendar order). 1. Paid Membership Without removing any previously-existing benefits for all members, we piloted additional paid membership options to help CSA build capacity and services. How is this looking from your perspective? 2. March for Science In a year of turmoil for research and evidence, CSA stepped up and signed on to support the March for Science movement. 3. CitSciDay Through partnerships with SciStarter and City Nature Challenge, 118 sites hosted events to share great things about or even engage people…
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27 Dec 2017
By Jennifer Shirk
Local Actions, Global Connections: Advancing Citizen Science with UN-Environment (UNEP)

Local Actions, Global Connections: Advancing Citizen Science with UN-Environment (UNEP)

AAPS News
[sg_popup id="14" event="onload"][/sg_popup]One billion people engaged in citizen science by 2020. This bold goal was part of a Global Vision Statement presented at the Science Policy Business Forum for the Environment, which preceded the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) annual Assembly (UNEA) in December 2017, Nairobi, Kenya. More significant than the goal itself, however, is what prompted it - UNEP's interest in and support of citizen science. Why the focus on - and high hopes for - citizen science from an authority that sets and promotes the global agenda for environmental sustainability? And what does UNEP's interest mean for us,…
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13 Dec 2017
By Jennifer Shirk
Webinar: Journals and the Culture of the Peer Review Process

Webinar: Journals and the Culture of the Peer Review Process

Journal, Webinars
[sg_popup id="9" event="click"][/sg_popup]Even for people working at academic institutions, the journal peer-review process can be a bit of a black box. In this free webinar, Rick Bonney - Editor-in-Chief of CSA’s journal Citizen Science: Theory & Practice – knocks the walls off of that box to explore the ideals, aspirations, and (sometimes) shortcomings of journal peer review. Whether or not you ever plan to publish, if you’ve ever wanted to know more about how papers make it from idea to manuscript to “print" – including who makes decisions, how publications get paid for (and what’s up with firewalls), and what…
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05 Dec 2017
By Jennifer Shirk
The One-Year Trial is Over: Please Tell Us What You Think

The One-Year Trial is Over: Please Tell Us What You Think

AAPS News
The CSA Board of Directors would like input, from all connected with the Citizen Science Association, on CSA's membership structure. As a young organization, CSA has been striving to fulfil our vision, mission, and goals which were informed by input from this rapidly growing community. We are putting in place the structures to support activities with staff and cyberinfrastructure for conferences, workshops, working groups, an academic journal, and more. The CSA works by organizing community so that our membership (ALL OF US!) can collectively advance the field of citizen science. When the CSA launched in February 2014, membership for the…
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28 Nov 2017
By Jennifer Shirk
On growing pains and a growing field

On growing pains and a growing field

AAPS News
From the Director's desk (Jennifer Shirk, Interim Executive Director): When the Internet starts to critique citizen science, we know this field has truly come into its own. Several provocative articles over the past few weeks have led to intense but thoughtful dialog on the Citizen Science Association's discussion listserv. What started as an emotional response to a "backlash" against citizen science became a recognition that we (as a field) are secure enough in our practice that we can embrace - and benefit from - criticism. With that said, there is more we can do to help others better understand citizen…
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28 Nov 2017
By Jennifer Shirk
CSA Gives on #GivingTuesday

CSA Gives on #GivingTuesday

AAPS News
For #GivingTuesday 2017, we are giving back to this community with go-to citizen science resources shared by some of our Board members. It's a powerful but necessarily limited selection, drawing on each of our experiences and backgrounds. This community is stronger when we share resources and diverse perspectives - therefore, we invite your help to grow this list and advance our shared practices. Please also scroll down to make your own contributions in support of the field! * * * * * * * From Jennifer Shirk, Interim Executive Director: Scientist-Community Partnerships: A Scientist’s Guide to Successful Collaboration, by the…
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21 Nov 2017
By Jennifer Shirk
Special Issue Call for Papers: Ethics

Special Issue Call for Papers: Ethics

Ethics, Journal
[sg_popup id="9" event="click"][/sg_popup]Announcing a call for papers (abstracts due15 JAN 2018) for a special issue of Citizen Science: Theory and Practice focused on "Ethical Issues in Citizen Science." From the issue editors (Lisa M. Rasmussen and Caren Cooper): In many countries, regulations, restrictions, and oversight processes have arisen to address ethical concerns in scientific research. Citizen science challenges the paradigm of oversight for addressing ethical issues for several reasons: Citizen science can frequently fall outside of typical regulations or policies, and recognized ethical issues may not receive appropriate consideration. The relationship between scientists, volunteers, and human subjects in citizen science…
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