This workshop will explore how open science, and in particular citizen-based data collection, processing and analysis on the Web, can provide new and valuable sources of open scientific data, in particular for the social sciences.

SETI@Home and GalaxyZoo are names of projects that provide scientists with huge amounts of free computing power and brainpower, courtesy of hundreds of thousands of Web-based volunteers. But the range of sciences that can benefit from this kind of online social support is not limited to the search for new galaxies or extraterrestrial life. Here on Earth there is a huge amount of data that needs computer-based processing and human-based digitization.

The workshop will take a hands-on hackfest-type approach, aiming to create demos of ideas for new citizen science projects that the participants generate, and that could help in harvesting more open knowledge. But you don’t need to be a programmer to help! Web designers, economists, journalists, statisticians and, yes, even social scientists can help. Just bring a laptop if you can, and a lot of enthusiasm!

At the workshop you’ll meet and get to work with some of the leading exponents of citizen cyberscience, researchers behind projects like MalariaControl.net, LHC@Home, Epicollect and QuakeCatcher,

The support of the Shuttleworth Foundation for this workshop is gratefully acknowledged.

For details please see the related OKCon programme page at: 

http://okcon.org/2011/programme/open-science-and-social-science-workshop