Alien CSI working groups

From participants to policy-makers will review the ways in which different CS initiatives engage target audiences, recognizing the diversity of contributors and end-users. There will be focus on engaging end-users and ultimately policy-makers with the aim of producing results that are accepted and used not only at scientific levels, but also at management and policy levels.

Task 1: Develop a database of existing initiatives/approaches/activities/strategies used to engage citizens with AS from across Europe and link to distributed network that overcomes cultural and language barriers ultimately developing a glossary of terms (translated into major European languages) and key concepts relevant to CS and AS contexts.  

Task 2: Critically review the needs and motivations of citizens and end-users within the context of AS CS, involving scientists and social scientists to consider attitudes towards AS, CS and the connections between the two themes. Identify spatial biases in the degree of CS involvement across Europe and consider cultural and language barriers. 

1. Database of AS-related CS (Task 1)
2. Review of needs, motivations and attitudes towards AS and CS (Task 2)
3. “Best Practice Guide to CS and Alien Species” translated into different languages and focusing on how to engage different stakeholders, including the best approaches/activities/strategies for each target-group (Task 1 and 2)

Embracing innovative advances in tools and technology will explore the value of new and emerging technologies for CS in the context of AS recognizing the contribution of volunteers. The growth in AS datasets has been fostered by technological developments such as social media, apps, low-cost sensors, search engines and predictive analytics. These technological developments, an increased attention to CS and a cultural change towards collaboration and openness in research within the policy agenda (https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/open-science), will lead to a further increase of the contribution of volunteer recorders.

Task 1: Horizon scan novel technologies for CS

Task 2: Explore novel ways to increase the level of participation in AS related CS (e.g. from occurrence reporting to impact monitoring) and to reach non-traditional audiences of citizen scientists (linking to WG 1; Task 2).

Task 3: Critically review and document opportunities to ensure openness of app data, app code etc. e.g. through the EU CS platform under development within the JRC. 

1. Review of new and emerging technologies with relevance to CS in the context of AS (Task 1).
2. Develop new functionalities for existing apps (e.g. gamification, scraping social media for pathways, trade and occurrence data) through a Hackathon involving citizen scientists and app developers (Task 2).
3. Guidance and best practice on openness of app data, app code etc. (Task 3; Linking to WG1; Task 1) 

Informing best practice will develop guidance and associated training to improve the quantity, quality and usability of AS data collected by citizens. Data standards do exist, such as Darwin Core and ABCD, but their adoption is not universal and these standards need development to make them more appropriate for the breadth of data that are collected on biodiversity by citizen scientists. This includes data terms that are largely specific to IAS, such as management methods and impacts, but also ways to describe methods used by citizens.

Data management is fundamental to the success and long-term impact of a CS project, yet it is often not considered until the end of the project, by which time decisions made at the beginning of the project can limit the choices for data reuse. From the outset of the Action we will create a data management plan collaboratively to guide our work recognizing IAS data, and their uses, are not identical to other biodiversity data. The need for rapid and focused data mobilization is particularly important for a response to new species introductions. This is where we will address issues of sensitive data and data sharing.

Task 1: Review structure of data across existing AS CS initiatives within Europe and develop a data management plan for the Action to cover any data and other outputs from the project.

Task 2: Facilitate data mobilization across Europe, particularly of Biodiversity data as that relates to AS, including linking ECIs in short-term scientific missions with experienced data managers to facilitate data publication.

Task 3: Explore creative ways to illustrate the problem of IAS through novel visualizations of data and innovative mash-ups of data from different domains (linking to WG4).  Task 4: Work with international data standards organizations to improve their standards for research with CS and IAS.

1. Published data management plan on-line including standards to be used, the terms for data sharing and the long-term preservation of data (Task 1).
2. Map data flow of AS CS data across Europe linking to EASIN (Task 2).
3. Showcase of data visualization approaches through the Action website (Task 3; linking to WG4).
4. Guidance document for best practice on data management for CS specifically related to IAS (Task 4; Linking to WG1).

Ensuring the best use of CS data will consider methods for maximising the use of CS data in the context of AS. CS provides a powerful approach to collating largescale and long-term information critical for understanding biological invasions and informing decision- 11 making. However, since information is gathered by volunteers, often at places and times convenient to them, this can lead to biases in sampling, leading to multi-dimensional (spatial, temporal, or data quality) data biases. WG4 will consider approaches to address such biases and ensure maximum utility of the data and effective communication of outputs to all relevant end-users through using cutting-edge analytical tools and creative visualisation.

Task 1: Review current methods of analysis and how these are appropriate to different CS datasets and different purposes (unstructured vs. structured monitoring; experimental designs (e.g. adapting BACI experimental design for CS), presence-only, presence-absence, sessile organisms (plants, leaf miners etc) vs. motile animals. Developing recommendations for standards for data collection, preparation and analysis, and identifying best practice examples for scientific uses.

Task 2: Explore strengths and limits of methods used for managing different kinds of CS data to provide relevant information for end-users. This include the i) testing of different proxies for recording intensity (e.g. using co-variates, applying self-learning algorithms), ii) testing tools for data quality (e.g. assessor self-rating rules, groups assessment tools), iii) identification of uncertainties (spatial, temporal), and iv) testing of proxies for recording likelihoods as a function of the novelty of a record (to account for the fact that abundant AS are less likely to be reported than emerging ones).

Task 3: Explore creative ways to analyze and illustrate the data gathered in CS to inform the public and decision makers effectively. This includes using real-time data and output visualization tools and innovative mashups of data from different domains (linking to WG3) that allow to rapidly report AS, and that provide additional relevant information (e.g. level of uncertainty). We will review existing analytical and data presentation and visualization tools and identify emerging tools and developments.

1. Published review on current methods of analysis and how these are appropriate to different CS datasets and different purposes (Task 1).
2. Publication (opinion or review piece) on strengths and limits of methods used for managing different kinds of CS data to provide relevant information for end-users (Task 2).
3. Guidance document on best practice in analysing and illustrating the data gathered in CS to inform the public and decision makers effectively (Task 3).

This WG will (1) coordinate and facilitate the flow of information among WG1-4 to efficiently maximize the impact of the Action across Europe and beyond, and (2) showcase case studies of CS initiatives with the aim of testing the best practice guidelines developed in WG1-4.

The main objective of this WG will be leveraging and expanding the existing IASfocused networks and activities in Europe that will be included so as to represent diverse CS approaches.

Task 1: Consolidate best practices and mobilize the information emerging from WG1-4. o Actively mobilizing the deliverables among WGs to enhance a timely use of the information created by them (e.g. Task 3 of WG3 linked to WG4) o Showcase CS initiatives (e.g. Deliverable 1 and 3 of WG1) and establish coordination of existing networks that will be selected as cross-cutting case studies.

Task 2: Support practitioners and facilitate cross-border research and cooperation to further develop the potential of BioBlitz to engage people in CS while mobilizing IAS data including collaboration with ECSA and the Horizon 2020 project DITOs, o Increase understanding of how to enhance the potential of BioBlitz events as repeat monitoring events for IAS (from recommendations of the DITOs policy brief #1). The versatility of BioBlitz events provides the opportunity to test applicability of best practice guidelines for different CS approaches o Develop training materials for running BioBlitz events to maximize utility for gathering IAS information specifically in relation to the IAS of EU Concern documented within EU Regulation1143/2014 on IAS.

Task 3: Develop and launch a showcase European CS initiative, building on existing activities and networks, in order to test best practices developed in WG1-4. 12

1. Documentation on the links between outputs (Deliverables) of WG1-4, emphasizing how information among WGs has been shared to maximise the impact of the Action (Task 1a and Task 1b)
2. Manuscript documenting evaluation of case studies based on guidelines developed in WG1-4. Outcomes used to inform development of training materials and guidance document for running BioBlitz events focused on IAS (Task 2a and 2b).
3. Cross-cutting European CS activity (Task 3)