Friday,  November  10,  2017  at  2:36:22  PM  Eastern  Standard  Time

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Dear reader,

Your input and feedback is helping to define a Citizen Science Association that reflects the diversity of this field, and that upholds high standards for integrity in research and engagement. Further down in this newsletter are concrete examples - including an invitation for your input into a forthcoming webinar series, and an open call for abstracts for an upcoming conference.

Citizen science is gaining more and more attention - and with that comes increased scrutiny. This week, founders of the Austrian Citizen Science Network offered a brief Nature Correspondence piece arguing that, "we need a rigorous definition of [citizen science] method to safeguard the reputation of research and the value of public participation."

Concurrently, a thread on the CSA's discussion listserv is addressing the diversity of citizen science terms and practices. Touchstones in this conversation include a Citizen Science: Theory & Practice article on terminology that sprung from that very listserv (Eitzel et al. 2017), and a recent report from the RAND Corporation. In a list of Key Findings, the RAND report includes the provocative statement that, "there is some tension and conflict between current standards of practice and the changes required for citizen science to achieve its promising future."

You are helping to define a Citizen Science Association that will get us to that promising future, a future that broadens understandings of how science can be pursued with integrity in both research and engagement. CSA's newly adopted Values Statement, strengthened by your input, holds rigorous scientific research and diversity in practices as both integral to that future. This field is enriched by the ingenuity of different communities, and strengthened by each of our commitments to integrity in our work. It is throu gh a growing appreciation of what different communities have to offer, paired with principles and proven practices, that we can collectively safeguard the reputation of this field.

What do you need to advance your practice? What do you have to offer others in this field?Read on for some ways to share and to learn together...

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Join us for webinars!

Help us plan a webinar series that will meet your needs! Got an idea? Or maybe you'd like tohelp? Tell us more here! We have two stellar webinars already on the books. See an overview here, or follow linksbelow for each webinar to get details and register. Can't make these dates/times? Registeranyway to get the recording! Exploring Tools for Volunteer Recruitment and EngagementJulie Vastine, ALLARMTuesday Nov 14 2017, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM, US ET (UTC -5)FREE for dues-paying Members of CSA; Others $7. The Ultimate SciStarter How-To for Participants, Project Leaders, and Researcherswith Catherine HoffmanThursday Dec 07 2017, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM US ET (UTC -5)Free for everyone

Call for Proposals: Second International ECSA Conference2018 in Geneva, Switzerland

The European Citizen Science Association is hosting its second conference June 3rd to June5th 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland. The call for proposals is now open, through 10 January2018. The focus of the event is on the citizen: Why do citizens collaborate? What is their motivation

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to volunteer? Do they develop a deeper interest and engagement in science? Do they havesuggestions for improving collaborations?

Information about the conference and the call for proposals are available on the conferencewebsite.

The conference is hosted in 2018 for ECSA by the Foundation Science et Cité and by thelocal support of the University of Geneva.

Design Contest! Put your mad design skills to work for CSA...

Be the envy of all of your citizen science colleagues bydesigning the look of CSA's winter fundraiser giftables! We know you have ideas for the image or slogan that willrock the citizen science world - put that inspiration to work tobenefit CSA and get your design skills recognized in the field.

Submissions due Sunday, 12 November. More details, including contest rules, here.

CSA's Values Statement Many thanks to all who provided input into and feedback onthe values statements for the Citizen Science Association.This organization is growing with these values as thebackbone of our work. Read the final statementhere: http://citizenscience.org/association/about/values/

Flickr image, Color value equals brightness, by David Malouf | CC BY-NC 2.0

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The field of citizen science is hiring. See our job board for details on positions with the following organizations:

iDigBioNorth Carolina State UniversitySmithsonian Environmental Res earch CenterBritish Trust for OrnithologyParis Museum of Natural History

Have a job to share? Send it to info@citizenscience.org to hit our job board and thousands ofprofessionals with skills in this field!

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