Open Digital Science Study - Scenarios

Narrative scenarios about envisaged future use of ODS exemplifying ODS semantics, implications, trends and thus providing the necessary level of concreteness for detailed discussions with experts and general public.

ODS concept and vision refinement are pursued using scenarios of potential future ODS usage as a proxy. The scenarios assist in communicating the vision, explore future trends, discuss options for measuring ODS uptake and impact and generally stimulate the discussion with a broad community. 

The different aspectsof ODS are difficult to embrace in a single definition or description. We therefore propose to facilitate the ODS vision validation using future ODS scenarios as an intermediary conceptual step. These scenarios about the future of ODS help to communicate the ideas, discuss trends and their implications, understand issues and collect policy needs. Scenario-based exploratory techniques have proven useful for strategic forecasting of technical trends [Geschka & Hanenwald 13, Mieke 07, Lizaso et al. 04] and more recently for research and technology policy [Prem et al. 14, Prem 14]. 

Open online discussions (facilitated by study team members and supported by the imagery of future ODS scenarios) play a central element of the ODS methodology. 

The scenarios facilitate communication of different ODS vision aspects and the expert and open community assessment.