SciShops will build an extensive knowledge base by analysing the practices of the existing European and International Science Shops. The goal is to engage community stakeholders in knowledge cafes and other community events in order to provide examples of the benefits of community-based research. The developed strategies and novel tools provided by the project, including a knowledge hub, a SciShops navigator, twinning and matchmaking platform, seek to provide guidelines for different types of organizations on how to establish and run a Science Shop.
Science Shops are entities that carry out independent participatory scientific research on behalf of citizens and local civil society. It is an open, inclusive and often interdisciplinary process in which citizens and community groups collaborate with researchers to help solve issues at local and regional levels.