Federal Crowdsourcing and Citizen ScienceThe Federal Community of Practice on Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science (CCS) works across the government to share lessons learned and develop best practices for designing, implementing, and evaluating crowdsourcing and citizen science initiatives.The Open Government National Action Plan committed the Federal government to "develop an Open Innovation Toolkit for Federal agencies that will include best practices, training, policies, and guidance on authorities related to open innovation, including approaches such as incentive prizes, crowdsourcing, and citizen science." The Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Toolkit is the first component to be completed. Dozens of federal employees have contributed to the development of this toolkit over the last year and it is finally ready for public launch.Federal Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Community of PracticeCCSCoP_f5238270-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016fThe community is open to all federal practitioners working on, funding, or just interested in learning more about crowdsourcing and citizen science. Anyone with a .gov or .mil email address can join our listserv by emailing the listserv... As affiliates of federal agencies, we seek to expand and improve the U.S. government's use of crowdsourcing, citizen science, and similar public participation techniques for the purpose of enhancing agency mission, scientific, and societal outcomes.Jay BenforadoDeputy Chief Innovation Officer, EPA Office of Research and Development, CCS Co-ChairRuthanna GordonIARPA contractor & CCS Steering Committee memberOffice of Science and Technology PolicyIn collaboration with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), we are launching a new website -- the Federal Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Toolkit. The Toolkit will help federal practitioners find resources to pitch, develop, implement, and improve citizen science and crowdsourcing projects.Lea ShanleyThe CCS community was founded in 2012 by Lea Shanley (co-chair Emeritus). Five people came to the first meeting; the group has since expanded to almost 200 members.Agency mission, scientific, and societal outcomes are enhanced_f5238388-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016fTo share lessons learned and develop best practices for designing, implementing, and evaluating crowdsourcing and citizen science initiatives._f523843c-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016fCrowdsourcingWe focus on crowdsourcing and citizen science, and their synergies with other participatory approaches (for example: DIY development of low-cost sensors for citizen science). We use the following definitions as guidelines for the scope of the group -- always a work in progress -- while acknowledging that these activities overlap significantly.ScienceParticipationSharingThe CCS community is committed to sharing skills, resources, and experience to support the expansion and improvement of public participation projects across the federal government.SkillsContinuous ImprovementCrowdsourcing, Citizen Science & Public ParticipationExpand and improve the U.S. government's use of crowdsourcing, citizen science, and similar public participation techniques_f5238522-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016f1Open innovation is a paradigm that suggests that organizations can and should solicit contributions from external volunteers. This broad category encompasses CCS as well as a growing list of other methods._f52385a4-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016fCitizen ScienceMobilize the public to participate in the scientific process to address real-world problems_f5238630-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016f2CitizensCitizen science mobilizes the public to participate in the scientific process to address real-world problems, in ways that include identifying research questions, collecting and analyzing data, interpreting results, making new discoveries, developing technologies and applications, and solving complex problems.Research QuestionsIdentify research questions_f52386ee-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016f2.1DataCollect and analyze data_f5238748-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016f2.2InterpretationInterpret results_f52387fc-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016f2.3DiscoveriesMake new discoveries_f523886a-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016f2.4Technologies & ApplicationsDevelop technologies and applications_f5238900-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016f2.5Problem SolvingSolve complex problems_f523898c-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016f2.6CrowdsourcingObtain needed services, ideas, or content from large groups of people_f5238ae0-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016f3Crowdsourcing is a process of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people, and especially from an online community._f5238b76-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016fCrowdmappingProduce collaborative maps_f5238c0c-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016f4Crowdmapping, a subset of crowdsourcing, is a process where individuals or organizations submit an open call for geographic information or information with an associated geographic location from volunteers to produce collaborative maps._f5238cca-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016fDIYShare methods of creating, modifying, or repairing things_f5238d6a-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016f5Do-it-yourself (DIY) / making shares methods of creating, modifying, or repairing things without the aid of professional experts. Tools created by Makers -- for example, low-cost sensors and scientific instruments -- can make direct participation in STEM activities more accessible to the public._f5238e14-baf7-11e5-a84e-76b94630016f2016-01-14http://www.digitalgov.gov/communities/federal-crowdsourcing-and-citizen-science/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net