The impact of science shops on university curricula and research

The paper analyses the impact of university-based science shops on university curricula and research. Science shops are organisations offering community groups access to scientific knowledge and research. A number of science shops are part of a university, where students and researchers co-operate with citizen groups as part of the curricula or as research activity about the knowledge need put forward by the community group. Experience show that besides assisting citizen groups, science shops can contribute to the development of university curricula and research. The paper discusses the impact of science shops on university curricula and research based on a questionnaire sent out to science shops and through follow-up interviews with employees from nine different university-based science shops. The case studies have been supplemented with articles and reports.