Nov 2, 2017 - who make the project work, regardless of the terminology that they and the project ... All submissions sho
Second International ECSA Conference 2018 Citizen Science empowering citizens, social innovation & scientific literacy 3–5 June 2018 | Geneva, Switzerland
CALL FOR PROPOSALS GUIDELINES I. Aim The International ECSA Citizen Science Conference is aimed at scientists, practitioners, activists, funders, policy makers, non-governmental organizations, artists, and interested citizens in the field of Citizen Science. The first conference in Berlin hosted 370 participants from 30 countries. We would like the 2018 conference in Geneva to focus on citizens in Citizen Science - the participants who make the project work, regardless of the terminology that they and the project coordinators use (see Eitzel et al. 2017). Why do citizens collaborate? What is their motivation to work as volunteers? Do they develop a deeper interest and engagement in science? Do they have suggestions for improving collaborations? We want the conference to be an opportunity to talk to each other, to share personal opinions, stories and experiences. It is an opportunity to listen to and learn about other viewpoints. The Conference Committee of the Second International ECSA Conference 2018 welcomes your proposal until 10th January 2018. All submissions should be made via the online form https://www.ecsa-conference.eu/submit-proposals. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Conference Committee by end of February 2018. Feedback of acceptance or refusal will be sent afterwards to the corresponding author during March. If you want to become a member of the European Citizen Science Association, you can apply via the ECSA Website.
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II. Topics The following questions are going to be discussed at the conference: What role can Citizen Science play for a) empowering (individual) citizens, b) social innovation and societal goals, c) increasing scientific literacy and finally d) how Citizen Science changes science. Sessions should focus on the following topics/questions: a) Empowering (individual) citizens - How to address citizens, gain new volunteers, stay in contact with them? - How to deal with citizens and the communities in projects? What is the benefit for them? What role do social aspects play for their work? - What are the reasons for the public to do Citizen Science? - How to make Citizen Science more popular? - Empowered citizens – Case studies and lessons learned in collaborative Citizen Science projects - Which projects and subjects fit to which citizens (age, gender, education ...)? - What role can Citizen Science play for grass root organizations? - Citizen Science and schools – Which aspects need to be considered when working together with schools? How does the involvement of school children in a project work? How can we convince teachers to participate? - Citizen Science and associations – Which aspects need to be considered when working together with volunteer associations? How does the involvement of these members in a project work? - Contributory, collaborative, co-created and collegiate – How to understand and conceptualize the role of participants in the spectrum of Citizen Science – from bottom-up to top-down? What are the specific challenges for citizens? - Other…? b) Social Innovation and societal goals - What can be the role of Citizen Science in social innovation processes? Good examples? - Support for participants – What are the methodologies, tools and issues that need to be taken into account during project design and implementation of social innovation? - Citizen Science and European Union Policy – How can Citizen Scientists contribute to the development and implementation of EU policy and support the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals? Illustrating the power of the grass root Citizen Science community to work together, be heard and drive change. - Other…? c) Scientific literacy - How may scientific literacy increase with Citizen Science? What are the important points therefore? - Is Citizen Science merely a trend in science communication or is it really a promising method to increase scientific literacy? - Do you speak understandable? What are the best ways to break down complicated texts that are understandable and readable for non-scientists in the first place? What different approaches are out there that help increase scientific literacy? - What are best practice examples for fruitful Citizen Science - media collaborations in Citizen Science? - Other…?
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d) Does Citizen Science change science? (Please consider new aspects of this topic!) - Examples of how Citizen Science has contributed value to “real” science. - Is Citizen Science just science by other means, or can it transform what counts as evidence? - How are science teachers at universities able to give to students starting their research the idea that Citizen Science can change their approach to scientific questions? Can researchers find new perspectives to their current challenges thanks to the Citizen Scientists? - Are the benefits of Citizen Science higher than their costs? - What are the pitfalls of Citizen Science? - What is the state of the art of research on Citizen Science itself (volunteer motivation etc.)? - Other…? III. Essential Criteria When evaluating the proposals, the Conference Committee will have a special focus on certain criteria. You have higher chances of success if your proposal... -
…is linked to the conference topics (see chapter II) …brings together citizens and scientists ...is active or interactive …is innovative …is relevant and comprehensible …can be embedded in the program context
IV. Language and length of prosposals The proposal must be submitted in English. Conference language is also English, exceptions might be possible with regards to collaborative projects with local citizens. The proposals should not have more than 1200 characters. V. Session formats You can choose from several options. We will list the most prominent ones in the following section. a) Interactive format / workshop Interactive formats provide workshop style interaction amongst the participants and the workshop leaders. It is also possible to propose a workshop where you and the participants work on a specific project or specify an idea. Workshops should be really interactive and hands on! Please indicate the level – from beginners to experts. -
time: 60 or 90 minutes, or ongoing with break over two slots 2.5h or 3h
b) Dialogue session You can present your project in a dialogue session. It consists of a set of different topics / projects. The participants choose the projects they want to learn more about based upon a 2 minutes presentation in the plenum. Afterwards the presenters return to their tables and wait for the visitors. 3
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time: change of visitors after 20 minutes (several presentations in one dialogue session) infrastructure: table, pin board, no projector!
c) Speed talk Brief presentation / talk with focus on the citizen followed by discussion with participants. - time: 7 minutes presentation, 7 minutes discussion - infrastructure: projector, pointer, alarm clock d) Poster presentations There will be a “printed” poster presentation on Monday, 4th June. Please note space is limited. You can display it from the morning onwards. In the afternoon, after the session, however the posters have to be removed due to space limitation. Poster board dimensions: Portrait, A0 size (841 mm wide x 1189 mm high / 33.1 inches wide x 46.8 inches high). Additionally, we can offer a “digital” speed poster presentation as one of the parallel sessions. You can project your poster (one document) and present it for three minutes maximum. Afterwards, a discussion of five minutes maximum will follow. e) Market stands at the festival on Sunday During the event for the public on Sunday, 3rd June, you can promote your project with a market stand. The festival will take place outdoors under a tent. There is a limited number of stands due to space restrictions. If you want, you can prolong your display until the end of the conference on Tuesday, 5th June, however there will be no surveillance outdoors. -
infrastructure: table approx. 1m x 0.7m, bench or chair, plug
f) Other session formats This list is not exclusive. Don’t hesitate to propose other formats as, for example, world cafés, fish bowls, PechaKuchas, barcamps, creative thinking, roundtable sessions, “speed-dating” sessions, etc. -
time: 20 minutes up to 90 minutes in total infrastructure: depending on format 4
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Timeline 2nd November 2017: call for proposals opens 10th January 2018: last day to submit proposals Evaluation of Proposals January/February 14th February 2018: Early Bird registration opens During March 2018: Feedback of acceptance or refusal will be given to the corresponding author 3rd -5th June: Second International ECSA Conference in Geneva 5th – 6th June: ECSITE pre-conference in Geneva 7th – 9th June: ECSITE main conference in Geneva
VII. Online submission All submissions should be made online via https://www.ecsa-conference.eu/submit-proposals. VIII. Contact If you have questions, please contact Tiina Stämpfli.
[email protected] IX. Miscellaneous Presenting participants must register and are responsible for travel and hotel costs. Abstracts and posters will be compiled and made available in a publication to participants.
The ECSA Conference Committee 2nd November 2017
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