Why a Cooperative?
Why is VeriMe a Cooperative?
Too many researchers and scholars unnecessarily endure frustration with clunky identity verification services that are poorly integrated into research workflows
Too many of us have been forced to release personal and private information in too many places to maintain or advance our work.
The vast majority of researchers care deeply about establishing trust and research integrity.
Research integrity depends on attribution and accountability. That’s why identity verification is crucial. Researchers should be able to prove their identity and share that trusted proof in a privacy-preserving manner. Researchers should be able to see what evidence is required to access research tools and services as well as how to achieve those requirements.
VeriMe was founded by and for researchers to make this vision a reality.
VeriMe concentrates the work, control, and access of identity verification. We do this in a cooperative way that engages researchers and other research community stakeholders so that everyone benefits. Researchers are part of making decisions, including electing the VeriMe board, because their participation and the security and privacy of their identification data are what VeriMe is all about.
What is a Co-op?
Cooperatives exist in every sector of the economy, and cooperatives range from very small, local businesses to large multi-national corporations. Worldwide, there are over 750,000 cooperatives.
A cooperative is a business, but it is unique in several important ways. Cooperatives are autonomous associations of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.
VeriMe is a worker coop that provides a specific service to the community. A worker cooperative is simply a business that is employee-owned and structured as a cooperative with each of the employees having the opportunity to become members of the co-op. Worker co-ops are democratically governed with each worker who is a member having one vote, no matter their position within the business. Any type of business can be structured as a worker cooperative. Service cooperatives are formed for the purpose of providing a specialized service to its members, which for VeriMe is researchers.
Cooperatives:
Are owned and democratically controlled by their membership — the people who use the cooperative's services or purchase its goods, not by outside investors.
Elect their board of directors from within the membership.
Return surplus revenues to members proportionate to their use of the cooperative.
Are motivated not by profit, but by service, to meet needs of their members' needs for affordable and high quality goods or services.
Cooperatives follow seven internationally recognized principles:
Voluntary and open membership
Democratic member control
Member economic participation
Autonomy and independence
Education, training and information
Cooperation among cooperatives
Concern for community
Who can participate?
VeriMe Cooperative membership is open to any person who has a need for identity verification to perform their research or scholarly activities. We use the OECD definition of “researcher”: professionals engaged in the conception or creation of new knowledge, products, processes, methods and systems, as well as in the management of the projects concerned. Worldwide, it is estimated there are over 100m people who fit this description.
VeriMe members share the privilege and responsibility of steering the cooperative. Members select the board of directors and have input on important issues facing the cooperative. As a Member, your opinions, your feedback and your votes help lead the cooperative. We hope you will take advantage of the services we provide, and we hope that you will take a few moments to be involved and let us know what you think.
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