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Announcements

  • Call for Papers - Special Collection

    Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Citizen Science

    Citizen Science: Theory and Practice are pleased to announce a Call for Abstracts for their latest Special Collection: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Citizen Science, with guest editors Lucy Forston, Kevin Crowston, Laure Kloetzer and Marisa Ponti.

    The deadline for abstracts is September 8, 2023 with the full papers expected by February 1, 2024.

    We invite proposals for manuscripts about the use of AI technologies in citizen science, which we broadly define to encompass (among other activities) AI analyzing, coding, and classifying data provided, for example, by cameras and telescope images; verifying the accuracy and consistency of volunteers’ submissions; improving volunteers’ training and communication; filtering out repetitive tasks allowing citizen scientists to focus on more interesting tasks; solving complex problems like protein-folding or discovering rare or unknown objects in large datasets.

    We will consider articles directed to a broad range of topics relevant to the use of AI in citizen science. We encourage contributions from researchers and practitioners from the global South. Our goal is to provide a safe space for diverse perspectives and contributions to a more inclusive and comprehensive body of knowledge. Citizen science initiatives focusing on issues specific to regions and underrepresented communities, such as monitoring wildlife populations, studying the impact of climate change on agriculture, tracking disease outbreaks, or mapping urban development, are very welcome.

    The preferred method for submitting an abstract is via this Google form link: https://forms.gle/5Uk3Y5rxki1zS7Ma9. However, if you are unable to access or complete the form, please send a query via email to: aifuturecitizenscience@gmail.com (please use the subject line “Abstract Query”)

    For further details, please view the full call on the Citizen Science Association site - https://citizenscience.org/2023/07/18/call-for-abstracts-ai-and-the-future-of-citizen-science/

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  • New Special Collection - Out Now

    The Contributions of Citizen Science to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Other International Agreements and Frameworks

    Citizen Science: Theory and Practice are pleased to announce the publication of our latest special collection.

    The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global call to action to address the world’s most pressing societal, environmental, and economic challenges. The achievement of the SDGs relies on our ability to accurately measure progress towards their targets using timely, relevant, and reliable data. In addition to the SDGs, there are other frameworks, such as the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework that also require better monitoring and implementation, to which citizen science could contribute. Citizen science offers a novel solution to complement and enhance official statistics for better monitoring of these frameworks. It can also support the attainment of the goals of these frameworks by mobilizing action while at the same time empowering individuals, communities, and society, including the most hard-to-reach and vulnerable groups.

    This Special Collection offers insights into the contributions of citizen science to the monitoring, implementation, and achievement of the SDGs as well as other international agreements and frameworks. It compiles the latest research, results, and actionable recommendations from a diverse set of actors, such as citizen science researchers and practitioners, NSOs, and International Organizations involved in research at the intersection of citizen science and the SDGs and/or other international frameworks. It reflects on how this new field of research has been evolving over the past few years and provides a varied agenda for future research and action.

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  • APCs increase for papers submitted after March 1, 2023

    For manuscripts submitted on or after March 1, 2023, publication fees (APC) will be $1600 (note the pricing currency is now USD rather than GBP).  This APC covers increased publication fees charged by our publisher, salaries/support for our Managing Editor and social media staff, and nominal compensation for editors including the Editor-in-Chief. In line with the values of the CSA, the Journal goals are to publish high-quality articles on the theory and practice of citizen science, be self-sustaining, advance inclusion across our field, and provide a cost-efficient and open-access publication opportunity at a rate below other journals.
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