Communication is an important factor in the Citizen Science field, not only within the projects themselves, but also among project leaders. For this purpose we implemented a forum on our website in the summer of 2018, which internally functions as a platform for exchange, networking and feedback.
Every project leader and every scientist gets their own forum access and is able to post topics in the form of threads surrounding that topic. We also publish "Release-Notes" in the forum, which give an overview and explain new features and updates of new SPOTTERON platform versions. Furthermore, we create individual threads in which we explain the new features that we are currently developing for all projects on the platform, so that all projects can give feedback, express their wishes or criticism and thereby collaboratively take part in shaping the platform.
The forum also simplyfies networking between the projects. First initiatives like a survey about the use of the apps by Citizen Scientists initiated by the project CrowdWater from the University of Zürich in Switzerland, were organised via the SPOTTERON forum and thereby spread and used amongst the different projects.
New projects on the SPOTTERON platform get forum access from the beginning of a collaboration and can thereby participate in the organization and the internal communication of the platform right from the start.
