Starting with an initial experiment and data acquisition: from the moment of their conception, scientific observations are recorded on the ScienceMatters blockchain as single observations or preprints. This gives the author or inventor immediate ownership rights, and ensures scientists’ and researchers’ discoveries are timestamped (through hashing) and are thus tamper proof. The researcher can then choose to publish a standalone single observation, or to record and store multiple observations in order to form a narrative to be later published as a preprint. Versioning or version-control is also made available for revisions and edited versions, preserving all the content in a simple, searchable timeline. Instead of findings being kept from the world on the author’s computer, discoveries can be quickly shared and published. Presently, researchers often wait to first develop a story which they then submit to journals for review and publishing. Instead, using the ScienceMatters R.E.W.A.R.D. system on the blockchain, the discovery is immediately timestamped. This has important ramifications for protecting intellectual property, preventing ‘scooping’ and helps to avoid delays in discovery and communication.
Evaluation: Peer-to-peer evaluation of observations and preprints