DailyPost 2017
THE NEW RESEARCH – TECH ENABLED COLLABORATION
Indian model of research which is the feeder, that propels our university system, where we have one guide and one researcher, and between them and an outside review at the end, research is over. It is a marvel that it has sustained for such a long time. Research needs to be done on its utility / futility during the course of its existence. Having done only one doctoral research himself, the guide develops the capability to guide dozens of researchers during his professional lifespan. The quality of the college is of no consequence, it can be done, anytime, anywhere. How much of those researches are even read in the institutions where they are created, we will leave it to another research to come up with the findings. Does the intellectual capital in the country match with the quantum of research being churned out?
This is most prevalent and well-known model, not to deny the fact there are few better models too, otherwise scientific research would have been long stalemated. The new age technologies have the potential to change the way science research has been done so far, it is the process to democratise science through decentralised science. A new interface layer would change it all and usher in a modern scientific revolution. Collaboration, neat and precise would become the name of the game. Collaboration and aggregation have been declared as the universal tools to transform mankind in every single field. The tools will be no different here. The capability to adopt this model would mean the success or failure of all future research.
This is the decentralised science movement or DeSci, is the usage of blockchain and Web3 technologies to improve scientific research. Smart contracts and tokens will come into place to upscale collaboration. What does this movement aim at? The aim is wider participation when approaching scientific challenges. It will also help in democratizing the peer -to -peer review process. Currently, it is dominated by a few journals, which can be costly. The new approach will also help in combating censorship. DeSci will also help in creating standards for research storage. The ultimate advantage would be that the research could be verified in the blockchain network of scientists. ”Blockchain based peer review systems can be transparent, and they can lend credibility to research contributed by even pseudonymous participants.”
The scientists participating can receive a stake or reward for participating. This would incentivise others to participate as well. This process would lead to the creation of platforms for research. Decentralising access to scientific pursuits would also allow citizens scientists to play an important role, nobody knows their real potential. Which way the Blockchain technology (tokens, NFTs, metaverses) fan out in this area is unknown, but for sure, it would lead to easy access to scientific collaborations. In DeSci, people who generate value actually gain value with the value of their contribution. In simple language, it means the more it is used by other researchers and scientists, the more value they receive. An ultimate touchstone for a scientist of value. The crux is that DeSci is creating new ways of contributing and collaborating, which were not possible, until the advent of blockchain technology.
DeSci, IF ADOPTED HAS THE POTENTIAL OF DISMANTLING THE PRESENT RESEARCH REGIME OF ACCESS COMMAND AND CONTROL.
Sanjay Sahay