ChainXIV: Decentralized Archive for Open Science
How can the public trust us when what we present them is mostly scientific journals? I want to explore the use of cryptography and blockchain technology to create a decentralized open-access archive that is not only the paper but also other resources like your video, code, data etc.
Blockchain and cryptography technology builds trust without a decentralized middle man who takes control of all the data. Most of the use cases are limited in the finance section. Why don’t we explore how we can use the possibility of using the blockchain to build the public’s trust in science in any aspect? One of the problems that the blockchain might contribute to this is the limitation of the open-access archive, which allows the authors to upload only a few megabytes of scientific journals due to the limitation on the computational resources and data storage. This could be limited the way the authors communicate their work to only what is in the paper.
I proposed exploring making a Decentralized open-access archive (DrXiv) using a decentralized file-sharing system, i.e. The InterPlanetary File System (IPFS). This type of archive will enhance the power of open science to the new era by allowing the authors to upload more than just the journal but also the resources of their choice, i.e. the video of them presenting it at a conference or even the raw data due to the increasing data storage capacity. This could make science easier to understand and reproducible, which is crucial for increasing public trust.
During 48 hours of the sciathon, I would like to explore how to improve the open-access archive using blockchain and how cost-effective it could be compared to its centralized version (for example, Arxiv.com). More ideas on how to use blockchain to improve trust in science are still welcome.
Image courtesy of Jompoj Wongphecauxsorn
Group Leader
Jompoj Wongphecauxsorn, Lindau Alumnus 2019
Universität Bonn, Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Germany