Karega Pauline, Mwaura David K, Mwangi Kennedy W, Wanjiku Margaret, Landi Michael, Kibet Caleb K
International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
Front Res Metr Anal. 2023 May 30;8:1070390. doi: 10.3389/frma.2023.1070390. eCollection 2023.
We have applied the sensitize-train-hack-community model to build awareness of and capacity in bioinformatics in Kenya. Open science is the practice of science openly and collaboratively, with tools, techniques, and data freely shared to facilitate reuse and collaboration. Open science is not a mandatory curriculum course in schools, whereas bioinformatics is relatively new in some African regions. Open science tools can significantly enhance bioinformatics, leading to increased reproducibility. However, open science and bioinformatics skills, especially blended, are still lacking among students and researchers in resource-constrained regions. We note the need to be aware of the power of open science among the bioinformatics community and a clear strategy to learn bioinformatics and open science skills for use in research. Using the OpenScienceKE framework-Sensitize, Train, Hack, Collaborate/Community-the BOSS (Bioinformatics and Open Science Skills) virtual events built awareness and empowered researchers with the skills and tools in open science and bioinformatics. Sensitization was achieved through a symposium, training through a workshop and train-the-trainer program, hack through mini-projects, community through conferences, and continuous meet-ups. In this paper, we discuss how we applied the framework during the BOSS events and highlight lessons learnt in planning and executing the events and their impact on the outcome of each phase. We evaluate the impact of the events through anonymous surveys. We show that sensitizing and empowering researchers with the skills works best when the participants apply the skills to real-world problems: project-based learning. Furthermore, we have demonstrated how to implement virtual events in resource-constrained settings by providing Internet and equipment support to participants, thus improving accessibility and diversity.
我们已应用“提高认识-培训-实践-社区”模式来提升肯尼亚生物信息学领域的认知度和能力。开放科学是一种公开且协作开展科学研究的实践方式，其工具、技术和数据可自由共享，以促进重复使用和合作。开放科学并非学校的必修课程，而生物信息学在一些非洲地区相对较新。开放科学工具能够显著提升生物信息学水平，进而提高可重复性。然而，在资源有限的地区，学生和研究人员仍然缺乏开放科学和生物信息学技能，尤其是两者融合的技能。我们注意到，生物信息学社区需要认识到开放科学的力量，并制定清晰的策略来学习生物信息学和开放科学技能，以便应用于研究。通过“开放科学肯尼亚”框架——提高认识、培训、实践、协作/社区，生物信息学与开放科学技能（BOSS）虚拟活动提高了认知度，并使研究人员掌握了开放科学和生物信息学方面的技能及工具。通过研讨会实现提高认识，通过工作坊和培训师培训计划进行培训，通过小型项目开展实践，通过会议和持续的聚会形成社区。在本文中，我们讨论了如何在BOSS活动中应用该框架，并强调了在策划和执行活动过程中吸取的经验教训以及它们对每个阶段成果的影响。我们通过匿名调查评估活动的影响。我们表明，当参与者将技能应用于实际问题时，即基于项目的学习，用技能提高研究人员的认识并赋予他们能力的效果最佳。此外，我们展示了如何通过为参与者提供互联网和设备支持，在资源有限的环境中举办虚拟活动，从而提高可及性和多样性。
