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Citizen Science Association
AbbreviationCSA
Formation2013
Type501c3
Registration no.81-2763794
Legal statusCharitable Organization
FieldsCitizen Science
Interim Executive Director
Dr. Jennifer Shirk
Shannon Dosemagen (Chair), Alison Young (Vice Chair), Michael Pocock (Secretary), Anne Bowser (Treasurer), Alison Parker, Angel Hjarding, Tina Phillips, Julie Vastine, Caren Cooper, Greg Newman, Lea Shanley, Cat Stylinski, Sarah Kirn, Na'Taki Osborne Jelks
AffiliationsSchoodic Institute - host organisation, European Citizen Science Association, Australian Citizen Science Association
Websitecitizenscience.org

The Citizen Science Association (CSA) is a United States member-based professional organization for practitioners and researchers of citizen science, where scientific research is conducted, in whole or in part, by amateur or nonprofessional scientists. The Association aims to expand the reach, relevance, and impact of science and research in the United States and internationally. The CSA was founded in 2013 [1] in the United States and was recognized as a charitable organization with a 501c3 designated status in June 2017.[2]

History

The concept for the Citizen Science Association originated at the Public Participation for Scientific Research Conference in 2012 held in conjunction with the Ecological Society of America conference in Portland, Oregon. Through a series of NSF grants (DRL-0610363, DRL-1020909, and DRL-0813135) the network of citizen science projects and professionals was further developed and the Citizen Science Association formation as an official organization developed along with a website. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology hosted the beginning of the Association web content and the Schoodic Institute helped launch the organization and is a continuing fiscal sponsor the CSA.[3]

Activities

Activities of the association include conferences, collaborations, an academic journal and various working groups.

The association holds a professional focused conference series every two years for the practitioner and research community to discuss the best practices in citizen science titled the Citizen Science Association Conference or CitSciXXXX where XXXX would be replaced by the year. For example, CitSci2019 was held March 13–19, 2019.[4][5] The association has a board of directors elected by the members and a collection of professional working groups establishing standards, identifying best practices, focusing research, building technology, and exploring the ethics of Citizen Science.

The Citizen Science Association has a memorandum of understanding with other Citizen Science Associations for collaboration and coordination. These other organizations include the European Citizen Science Association, the Australian Citizen Science Association, and the forming communities and associations in Asia (CitizenScience.Asia) and Africa. The United Nations officially recognised the Citizen Science Association and is working with the Citizen Science Global Partnership on how citizen science can best be applied to help tackle the Sustainable Development Goals.

Citizen Science: Theory and Practice journal

The association has an open source peer-reviewed journal called Citizen Science: Theory and Practice published by Ubiquity Press on behalf of the association. The journal provides a venue for citizen science researchers and practitioners to share best practices in conceiving, developing, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining projects that facilitate public participation in scientific endeavors in any discipline. The journal includes reports on research, reviews and synthesis, case studies, essays, methods, and meeting reports.[6] It is published online throughout the year along with special article collections.

Citizen Science Association working groups

The working groups as with many professional organizations focus on priority areas of the science and practice of citizen science. As of February 2020 the following nine working groups have formed.[7]

  1. Citizen Science Month
  2. Data and Metadata
  3. Education
  4. Ethics
  5. Environmental Justice Practitioners
  6. Integrity, Diversity, and Equity
  7. Law and Policy
  8. Professional Development
  9. Research and Evaluation

See also

List of citizen science projects

References

  1. ^ John M. Blodgett (21 March 2016). "How to find a flying squirrel: Citizen scientists are enlisted to help scientists". Washington Post. Retrieved April 18, 2019. ... According to Jennifer Shirk of the Citizen Science Association, a group founded in 2013,...
  2. ^ "Citizen Science Association Inc". charitynavigator.org. Retrieved 18 April 2019. June, 2017
  3. ^ Weaver, Jacqueline (25 April 2015). "Plenty on tap at revamped Schoodic Institute". ellsworthamerican.com. Retrieved 18 April 2019. ... The Schoodic Institute helped launch the Citizen Science Association and its inaugural Citizen Science 2015 in San Jose, Calif., Feb. 11-12 with 650 participants from 23 countries. ...
  4. ^ "Astronomers Welcome at the Citizen Science 2019 Conference". aas.org. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2019. Bring your ideas and your questions to CitSci2019, and be a part of our growing family tree!
  5. ^ Hood, Ernie (April 2019). "Citizen science conference highlights NIEHS grantees". factor.niehs.nih.gov. Retrieved 18 April 2019. ...CitSci 2019, the biennial conference held by the Citizen Science Association. This year the event was held March 13–17 in Raleigh, North Carolina. ...
  6. ^ "Citizen Science: Theory and Practice: About". Citizen Science: Theory and Practice: About. Citizen Science Association. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  7. ^ "Current Working Groups". citizenscience.org. Archived from the original on 2020-02-04. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
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