What are open source software and hardware?

Photo of blueprints by aloha75 from Flickr, CC BY 2.0

Software and hardware constitute a class of open science output that is important for citizen science practitioners to consider. They are specifically highlighted in the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science. Take a look at how it’s discussed:

"Open source software and source code that generally include software whose source code is made publicly available, in a timely and user-friendly manner, in human- and machine-readable and modifiable format, under an open license that grants others the right to use, access, modify expand, study, create derivative works, and share the software and its source code, design, or blueprint. The source code must be included in the software release and made available on openly accessible repositories and the chosen license must allow modifications, derivative works, and sharing under equal or compatible open terms and conditions."

Open source hardware includes the design specifications of a physical object which are licensed in such a way that said object can be studied, modified, created, and distributed by anyone.

In the case of both open source software and open hardware, a community-driven process for contribution, attribution and governance is required to enable reuse, improve sustainability and reduce unnecessary duplication of effort.

“But I’m not creating an app for my citizen science project, nor does our project develop any hardware!” Perhaps not directly, but it’s surprising the diverse ways by which these things are created in citizen science. For example, if you created a website for your citizen science project, the code underlying that website is software and is publishable as open science for others to learn from. If a citizen scientist writes a data analysis script, that is software. Some amateur astronomers build their own home observatories, replete with rotating domes. That is valuable knowledge worth sharing.

Open source software and hardware is a deep and complex subject. In this section, we will signpost ways to publish software and hardware outputs from citizen science as open science. Even if you are sure software and hardware are not major components of your citizen science project, it is still worth skimming this section to appreciate why this is an critical topic.