Considering Decentralized Science (“DeSci”) for Open Science and Learning Health Systems

By Joshua E. Richardson, PhD, MS, MLIS, FAMIA

Abstract

Decentralized Science (DeSci) is a growing movement that leverages a host of technologies that enable peer-to-peer means for managing research data and resources. By primarily utilizing blockchain software strategies and technical infrastructures, DeSci offers research resources across networks of users rather than via centralized repositories. This approach may offer new ways to make research data sustainably FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), such as with decentralized persistent identifiers (dPIDs) associated with defined blocks of data in place of identifiers assigned to documents (e.g., DOIs). The solutions could have impacts on ways that research gets funded and how research data are managed. Readers will appreciate learning about these emerging approaches and their potential impact on open science and learning health systems.

Audience

Open Science and Learning Health System leaders who develop strategies for implementing knowledge from open and institutional knowledge or data repositories, developers familiar with or who have an interest in blockchain and “Web3” technologies, and librarians interested in alternate approaches to data management.

Introduction

Decentralized Science (DeSci) is a movement to decentralize research outputs via blockchain-enabled tools and processes, and its development is applicable to Open Science (OS) and Learning Health System (LHS) advocates. My review describes this (academically) nascent area of research and development and is meant to spur “blue-sky” thinking for considering alternate approaches to managing and promoting open data and learning health systems in the future.¹

Background

DeSci is a relatively new concept and growing movement for applying blockchain/Web3 technologies in ways that promote community-driven data management, funding, and peer-review in research. Weidener and Spreckelsen² used mixed-methods to arrive an evidence-based definition for DeSci:

Decentralized Science (DeSci) represents a collaborative and decentralized approach to science, leveraging technological and infrastructural advancements such as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), Web3, cryptocurrencies, and Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) to enable permissionless, open, and inclusive participation, facilitating collective governance, equitable incentivization, unrestricted access, shared ownership, and transparent funding of the scientific process.

Readers may recognize common causes between the DeSci definition above and UNESCO’s “4 pillars” for OS:³

…open scientific knowledge, open science infrastructures, science communication, open engagement of societal actors and open dialogue with other knowledge systems.

Furthermore, OS advocates may recognize shared values with DeSci despite DeSci’s recent emergence:

Open Science Core Values ³	DeSci Core Values ²
Quality and integrity	Integrity and Accountability
Collective benefit	Collaboration and Community
Equity and fairness	Openness and Transparency
Diversity and inclusiveness	Inclusivity and Equity

As the definition and comparison of values above demonstrate, DeSci addresses core aspects of OS: promoting FAIR principles; increasing transparency; enhancing replicability; and advancing accessibility. Furthermore, DeSci values align with LHS principles too.⁴ However, where DeSci deviates from traditional OS and LHS approaches is in the technical and infrastructural solutions.

DeSci: Charting a New Technical Path Forward

DeSci’s proponents envision a radical departure from the traditional research ecosystems. By leveraging blockchain’s distributed ledger technology, DeSci has the potential to change research infrastructure and processes whether they be open-state repositories, irrevocable APIs as resource identifiers instead of DOIs,⁵ pluralistic attestations, or fork-able research in ways that mirror code development projects.⁶ Here I briefly describe select DeSci technical solutions that could address common challenges in OS and LHS:

Data Persistence and Permanence: Leveraging the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) protocol, content itself is tagged with Content Identifiers (CIDs) and stored within network nodes. Tagged content is stored and made accessible via nodes or in dedicated long-term storage.⁷
Decentralized Persistent Identifier (dPID): Rather than utilizing content identifier standards that are assigned at the resource level (e.g., DOIs), dPIDs are human and machine-readable identifiers at the level of the content itself (e.g., data). Relying on approaches developed in open source software communities, dPIDs could provide more scalable approaches to making scientific content findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable.^5,8
Transparency and Provenance: Blockchain technology relies on cryptographic and hashing techniques that enable communities to be continuously up to date via “smart contracts”. When applied to research, blockchain in conjunction with dPIDs and IPFS can provide a means for networks of users to reliably and openly locate data and knowledge. Researchers are also exploring blockchain-based approaches to peer review by way of assigning digital tokens that reward reviewers for their efforts.⁹
Research Funding and Oversight: DeSci seeks to build on blockchain-enabled tools that alter the entire research enterprise and steer research funding away from centrally-funded mechanisms (e.g., grants, cooperative agreements, etc.) to community-driven funding and oversight by way of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs).

In sum, existing technical standards and approaches used in open software communities may be applied in ways that research is stored, distributed, and even funded. More work is necessary to determine the ways the above technologies (and more) will need to interoperate in order to be effectively integratable. For example, researchers determined that IPFS would be appropriate for research data storage while blockchain could be more appropriate for managing metadata.¹⁰ Yet these approaches may be cause for consideration among those in the open repositories movement, (e.g., US Repository Network).¹¹

Taking Action in DeSci

For those who are interested in learning more or even getting involved, there are ongoing efforts below to consider.

DeSci Platforms

The DeSci Foundation is a partner with the Center for Open Science and offers educational materials including a newsletter, presentations, and podcasts on developments in the growing field.
ResearchHub provides a platform that enables individual funding for research efforts by way of virtual “ResearchCoins,” open peer-reviews, and an open journal.

Scientific Publishing

Blockchain for Science is an open access journal published by Frontiers. It regularly publishes on DeSci and topics related to blockchains scientific applications across a range of disciplines.

Select Science Distributed Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)

VitaDAO began in 2021 and engages in longevity research and drug development. It generates funds using “VITA tokens” (i.e., virtual coins) for facilitating governance efforts and awards dollars for research projects.
ValleyDAO began in 2021 and supports research in synthetic biology to address climate issues. It funds research through partnerships with academic institutions and independent researchers, and uses its GROW tokens for purposes of governance and intellectual property.
Frontier DAO also began in 2021 and bills itself as a community pushing, “science frontierism.” It raises funds through sales of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and “social tokens”.

Conclusion

DeSci is an emerging movement with aims and values similar to those in OS and LHS. Yet DeSci offers alternative technical approaches that can not only impact how research data can be managed and made FAIR, but also novel ways that research can be funded, governed, and put into practice. Those who are for a more open ecosystem of research outputs and methods would do well to become familiar with DeSci so as to avail themselves of novel technical solutions as well as transformative partnering opportunities.

Keywords
Decentralized Science (DeSci), Blockchain, Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO), Open science, Open Data, Learning Health Systems

About Author:
Joshua Richardson is a seasoned healthcare knowledge management professional whose research and product management experience spans multiple domains in digital health, health informatics, and biomedical information services. He is based in San Francisco, CA, and can be contacted via LinkedIn.

References