Open Science viewed globally means inclusion and justice
Kiel/Hamburg, 6th April 2022: ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics and Leibniz Research Alliance Open Science hosted the international Open Science Conference from 8 to 10 March 2022. Participants from 49 countries located in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, North and South America discussed how Open Science is implemented in practice and which developments currently shape the global movement.
283 participants from 49 countries met virtually from 8 to 10 March 2022 for the ninth Open Science Conference to discuss Open Science implementations, particularly from a global perspective. This year’s conference focused on the questions of how the expectations directed at Open Science proponents worldwide have changed or grown, and of how open research is interwoven with the various challenges of the (digital) transformation of the science system.
Professor Klaus Tochtermann, conference chair, pointed out in his opening address that much change has happened in the Open Science movement since the last conference in 2021. The EU for instance now demands a clear commitment to open practices for research grant applications within the “Horizon Europe” framework. The EU already put Open Science on its research agenda in 2015 with a focus on Open Innovation, Open Science and Open to the World. Recently, the Commission started an initiative to reform the current system of research evaluation. In view of the war in Ukraine, Tochtermann also emphasised in this context the importance of value-based science diplomacy and freedom of science for which global cooperation plays an essential role.
Besides “classics” such as research data, social inclusion and science communication, this year’s contributions focused on:
- The presentation of the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science and the ensuing panel discussion showed how much the Open Science discourse is now marked by a global view. The focus is newly laid on inclusivity, diversity of science cultures and justice without losing sight of previous issues such as transparency and reproducibility. An important demand was that all people shall have equal access to (open) science and shall benefit from scientific progress.
- Open Science as good scientific practice in the digital age cannot be considered in isolation. The implementation of Open Science depends on a fundamental transformation of the science system and the employment situation beyond professorships. The overheated competition between scientific institutions as well as the growing orientation towards implementation and efficiency play an essential part in this. The discussion around openness showed the problems in the science system which continue to impede transparent and robust research.
- The Open Science movement must keep its eyes on unintended negative effects, such as the double dipping of publishers in the context of Open Access, data tracking or the exemption from copyright law for text and data mining for scientific research purposes.
Look back with us to the Open Science Conference 2022:
Conference highlights on ZBW MediaTalk
Conference slides & posters on Zenodo
About the Open Science Conference:
The Open Science Conference is the ninth international conference of the Leibniz Research Alliance Open Science. The conference addresses the growing international Open Science movement andoffers a unique platform for researchers, experts from libraries and science policy, and other stakeholders to discuss and share ideas and practical experiences The International Open Science Conference is hosted by the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics and the Leibniz Research Alliance Open Science.
