The Social Cloud for Public eResearch

Scientific researchers faced with extremely large computations or the requirement of storing vast quantities of data have come to rely on distributed computational models like grid and cloud computing. However, distributed computation is typically complex and expensive. The Social Cloud for Public eResearch aims to provide researchers with a platform to exploit social networks to reach out to users who would otherwise be unlikely to donate computational time for scientific and other research oriented projects. This thesis explores the motivations of users to contribute computational time and examines the various ways these motivations can be catered to through established social networks. We specifically look at integrating Facebook and BOINC, and discuss the architecture of the functional system and the novel social engineering algorithms that power it.