22 Feb 2016
By Jennifer Shirk
Downloadable logos for Citizen Science Day

Downloadable logos for Citizen Science Day

Citizen Science Month
Hosting a Citizen Science Day event? Want to promote the celebration of Citizen Science Day? Please use this logo to help spread the word! And be creative: add your event's dates, adapt to match your organization's branding, create tiles for social media - whatever moves you! Just keep it positive, see our CC licensing, and please send us your designs - we'd love to share work that can help promote Citizen Science Day. LOGO FORMAT OPTIONS: Basic logo. Use this except in cases when incompatible with color schemes. Web: GIF (8 KB)  or JPEG (78 KB) Print (will not scale…
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09 Feb 2016
By Jennifer Shirk
Data and metadata: Reporting from the citizen science data and service infrastructure meeting in Italy

Data and metadata: Reporting from the citizen science data and service infrastructure meeting in Italy

Data & Metadata
By: Sven Schade, Anne Bowser, and Russell Scarpino With the growth of citizen science comes the challenge of coordinating people, projects, and data. But these challenges also present a tremendous opportunity – with proper standardization, data can support multiple projects, allowing citizen science to address ever-grander issues and problems. The U.S. Citizen Science Association (CSA) recently founded a Data and Metadata Working Group to promote collaboration in citizen science through development and/or improvement of international standards for data and metadata. To support, advance, and facilitate interoperability, the working group supports the standardization of: Project metadata, which describes different types of…
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28 Jan 2016
By Jennifer Shirk
CSA website changes – what to expect in 2016

CSA website changes – what to expect in 2016

AAPS News
Thanks to a partnership with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Citizen Science Association is adopting the URL and website CitizenScience.org. This transition comes with a brand new web interface (you are currently visiting the beta site), as well as infrastructure for more robust functionality. We look forward to building out added features over the coming years to best serve our membership and the broader community. Over the early part of 2016, you can anticipate the following changes: The Citizen Science Association will begin shifting all activities into the temporary beta site, staging.participatorysciences.org. In mid-February, this site will take over…
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23 Dec 2015
By Jennifer Shirk
Interview: "Powered by the People"

Interview: "Powered by the People"

AAPS News
In November, CSA Board Chair Greg Newman kicked off a series of monthly "messages from the Chair" to be shared via this blog (see November's message, "9 things to be grateful for about citizen science"). December's message from Greg comes via the online journal International Innovation, in the form of an interview about the Citizen Science Association and its services and vision for the field. Greg addresses questions that touch on the foundation of CSA; how citizen science is transforming research; obstacles to inclusivity; and both collaboration and communication opportunities for projects and the CSA. This interview is part of…
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22 Dec 2015
By Jennifer Shirk
Citizen Science Day FAQs

Citizen Science Day FAQs

Citizen Science Month
Curious about Citizen Science Day? Read on for answers to questions about how to plan, share/find, or support events in celebration of science. -- -- -- Q – What is Citizen Science Day? A – An opportunity to celebrate citizen science and connect with others who love it. What could be better?! Museums, libraries, zoos, schools, parks, and other site-based organizations (perhaps yours?) will be hosting events in early/mid- 2016. Search - or add your event to - SciStarter's online calendar and map. Q – When is Citizen Science Day? A – Events in celebration of Citizen Science Day will…
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15 Dec 2015
By Jennifer Shirk
CSA Board Nomination FAQs

CSA Board Nomination FAQs

AAPS News
Additional responses will be added as questions arise. See more details on Board nominations and service. Q: How much of a time commitment is CSA board service? A: Every month the board has a conference call that lasts approximately one hour. Twice a year we meet in person. The expectation is that everyone attends at least nine calls/meetings per year, including at least one in-person meeting. In addition, board members work on committees and in working groups. The amount of time each board member spends on CSA business is approximately two hours per week and can be much more, depending…
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12 Nov 2015
By Jennifer Shirk
Introducing the Data and Metadata Working Group

Introducing the Data and Metadata Working Group

AAPS News, Data & Metadata
The CSA board recently approved a Citizen Science Data and Metadata working group (a list of inaugural members can be found here). CSA's Data and Metadata Working Group aims to support, advance, and facilitate data interoperability among and between citizen science projects, and other data repositories; and, to promote collaboration in citizen science via the development and/or improvement of international standards for data and metadata. This working group is adopting oversight of the PPSR_CORE metadata standards, which were developed as part of DataONE and most recently refined at a workshop hosted by the Wilson Center and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency…
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11 Nov 2015
By Jennifer Shirk
Interview with Jennifer Shirk: Director of Field Development for CSA

Interview with Jennifer Shirk: Director of Field Development for CSA

Professional Development, Resources
In our ongoing series of blog posts about people who are working in the field of citizen science, we interview Jennifer Shirk, one of the Citizen Science Association's few part-time employees. Jennifer is based at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and has been part of field-building activities since the 2007 Citizen Science Toolkit Conference that launched the CitizenScience.org website. But here she tells us how she really got started in citizen science, and some of the next big steps she sees for the field. CSA: Jennifer, you’ve been involved with citizen science for many years. How did you first get…
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09 Oct 2015
By Jennifer Shirk
PPSR_CORE Metadata Standard

PPSR_CORE Metadata Standard

Data & Metadata, Resources
Overview Over the fall of 2013, organizations supporting citizen science came to a landmark agreement - to share basic information across databases that catalog citizen science projects.The collaborative success for citizen science and public participation in scientific research (PPSR) led to the development of the PPSR_CORE Program Data Model Metadata Standard / data sharing protocol.Sharing information across databases maximizes everyone's efforts, getting more "bang for the buck" out of information about citizen science projects everywhere. It leads to current, up-to-date, and synchronized project lists and a broader understanding about citizen science globally. The Need With the proliferation of citizen science,…
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01 Oct 2015
By Jennifer Shirk
CSA reviews proposed Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Act

CSA reviews proposed Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Act

AAPS News
On Sept. 30th, 2015, at events celebrating citizen science at the White House, the Office of Senator Coons introduced the Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Act of 2015 (CS2). This Bill is intended to ease barriers for the use of citizen science by US Federal agencies. The CSA Board – and a number of members of the citizen science community – had the opportunity to review the text in advance of its proposal, in order to understand and advise on the bill in draft form. The CSA Board has provided Senator Coons’ office a letter stating that we appreciate, “… federal-level…
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