Lesson 5: Connecting to open science hardware communities
Last updated on 2025-06-13 | Edit this page
Estimated time: 30 minutes
Overview
Questions
- How do researchers interact differently with OSH, as users or developers?
- Where can researchers get support and collaborate with others?
Objectives
- Understand the roles researchers play in OSH use and development
- Name key OSH communities and forums.
- Help connect researchers with peers and mentors.
Researchers’ roles in OSH: users, developers and in-between
As we’ve seen in previous lessons, researchers engage with open science hardware (OSH) in different ways—sometimes as developers creating new tools, and sometimes as users looking for ready-to-use solutions. Understanding this distinction helps librarians tailor their support, whether that means guiding a researcher through licensing and documentation or helping them assess whether an existing tool meets their needs. Two examples will help clarify these situations.
Dr. Liu: Open science hardware as a research prototype
Dr. Liu, a biomedical engineering professor, is designing a custom fluorescence imaging system to study bacterial colonies. Commercial systems are too expensive and don’t support the specific wavelengths her research requires.
To solve this, her lab builds a working prototype using open-source components: 3D-printed mounts, Arduino boards, and open-source image capture software. The system works well for testing ideas, but it’s not production-grade—it requires manual calibration and includes fragile parts.
Still, Dr. Liu considers the design to be useful and publishes the design files and experimental results on GitHub under an open license. This enables others to build on her work, refine the system, or apply it in related contexts. As a developer, Dr. Liu is contributing to the OSH ecosystem by openly sharing a prototype that reflects her research needs and invites further collaboration.
Dr. Khan: Open science hardware as a research tool
In contrast, Dr. Khan, a plant biologist, needs a reliable field-deployable system to monitor soil moisture in her drought-resistance trials. She’s not interested in designing new hardware—she wants something she can use right away with confidence in its performance.
She finds a well-documented OSH project created by another lab, complete with calibration data, a weatherproof casing, and clear instructions. Because the design is stable and has been tested in real-world conditions, she’s able to build and deploy it with minimal adaptation. In this scenario, Dr. Khan is acting as a user, relying on the maturity and reproducibility of the hardware to generate high-quality data.
Callout
Recognizing whether a researcher is seeking an adaptable prototype or a ready-to-use tool can help you provide more targeted support—whether that means pointing to appropriate repositories, helping interpret documentation quality, or guiding early-stage researchers through best practices in sharing their own designs.
Where and how to connect: Community mapping for Librarians
Open science hardware thrives in community spaces—both online and offline—where researchers, makers, educators, and activists collaborate, troubleshoot, and share ideas. As a librarian, one of the most valuable forms of support you can offer is helping researchers find the right community for their needs and stage of engagement.
Below is a short guide to some key OSH communities and platforms:
| Community / Platform | Focus | Who It’s For | How to Connect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gathering for Open Science Hardware (GOSH) | Global community promoting OSH for science and social justice | Developers, researchers, educators | Forum, mailing list, community calls |
| Open Science Hardware Foundation (OSHF) | Stewardship of the GOSH movement, fiscal sponsorship, governance | Institutions, funders, community builders | Website, contact form, governance updates |
| OSHWA (Open Source Hardware Association) | Advocacy, policy, and certification | Designers, educators, researchers | Website, newsletter, certification directory |
| Public Lab | Community science & environmental monitoring | Activist researchers, educators, community groups | PublicLab.org, Q&A forum, open calls |
| Wikifactory | Collaborative platform for hardware design | Makers, product developers | Platform, project hosting, discussions |
| CERN Open Hardware Repository (OHR) | Scientific hardware sharing and collaboration | Scientists, engineers | OHR, Git-based repositories |
| Local makerspaces / fab labs | Prototyping tools and peer exchange | Beginners to advanced users | Local directories, Meetup, university networks |
You don’t need to be an expert in every platform to help—just knowing what exists and how to help someone navigate it is a powerful way to connect researchers to support, feedback, and collaborators.
Challenge 1: Mapping communities
Create a short referral guide or table listing 3–5 OSH communities or platforms you would feel confident pointing researchers toward. For each, describe in 1–2 sentences who it’s for, what type of support it offers, and how to connect. If you’re unsure about one, explore its website or forum and note what kind of questions are typically asked.
Any of the communities listed above, or any new ones brought by learners.
Supporting researchers to participate in OSH Communities
Even when researchers are enthusiastic about open hardware, they may be unsure how to participate in existing communities. As a librarian, you can encourage them by normalizing engagement as part of the research process and highlighting accessible entry points.
Many communities are beginner-friendly and value a wide range of contributions—not just technical expertise. A researcher might:
- Ask a question on a forum about replicating a tool.
- Comment on an open design they’ve used or tested.
- Share how they adapted an open design to a new context (e.g., for fieldwork or teaching).
- Report bugs or suggest documentation improvements.
These contributions help others and are often welcomed as meaningful engagement, even if they don’t involve new inventions. You can also encourage researchers to attend virtual gatherings or community calls, where they can meet others working on similar challenges and learn how knowledge and tools circulate outside traditional publication venues.
Reminding researchers that OSH communities are collaborative—not competitive—spaces can reduce hesitation and help build confidence. You might suggest starting with a “lurking” phase (reading discussions, reviewing existing posts), followed by small contributions, and eventually deeper participation if they feel comfortable.
Challenge 2: Libraries as hubs for open science hardware
What role does your library already play in supporting open communities? Consider your spaces, programs, and partnerships. Where might OSH fit in or expand your existing work?
Free answers
Key Points
- Researchers engage with OSH as both developers (creating and sharing new tools) and users (replicating or adapting existing tools); recognizing this distinction is key to offering the right support.
- Support can include recommending forums, guiding participation, and lowering entry barriers
- OSH communities value all types of contributions—from bug fixes and documentation improvements to new use cases and adaptations.
- Many researchers hesitate to engage; librarians can help normalize participation and foster confidence by highlighting that OSH is collaborative, not competitive.
- Your library can play a strategic role in supporting open communities—through referrals, programming, infrastructure, or peer learning.