The Evolving Landscape of Open Science: Where are we now?
— by Florence Ng
In an age where information flows more freely than ever, the concept of Open Science has emerged as a transformation of scientific research over the past several decades. Open Science is a movement aimed at making the scientific research process and activities, including but not limited to protocols, data, codes and publications, freely accessible to everyone.
The modern Open Science movement gained considerable popularity since the early 2000s. It is widely supported by members of the academic community and adopted as a response to the changing landscape of scientific research. The Budapest Open Access Initiative in 2002 was one of the first formal endorsements of open access to scholarly literature. This was followed by the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities in 2003, which further solidified the principles of open access. In 2021, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted and issued the Recommendation on Open Science as the first international standard setting instrument on open science.
UNESCO addressed open science as a recommendation for increasing transparency, accessibility and inclusivity in the scientific process, driving the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and thus helping the world to address complex issues emerging in the 21st century.
Open Science as a mandate, and a commitment
Until now, various stakeholders have responded to the open science movement with different initiatives, bringing in different perspectives and contributions. Funding agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and the European Commission, are mandating research supported by them to be made openly accessible to the public; Publishers and journals are transforming their publishing model to adopt open science practices; Research and academic institutions are establishing policies and infrastructure to support open science. These mandates covered several stages of the research lifecycle, from funding applications to scholarly publishing, transforming the scientific research paradigm to openness.
It is undeniable that mandates from funders, publishers and institutions have greatly accelerated the adoption of Open Science, however, embracing open science as a commitment is equally important as it reflects a deeper dedication to its core values. It is crucial for us to view open science not just a requirement, but a commitment to the principles of transparency, collaboration, and societal benefit.
Academic communities across the world jointly made their commitments by signing declarations, e.g. the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities in 2003*, the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information in 2023, etc. Moving the whole community from traditional practices to emerging values would never be easy and could not be achieved by a single force. Our commitments could bind individuals together to foster sustainable engagement.
*Note: HKU is a signatory to the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities, which recognises that information (including research data) should be made widely and readily available to society.
Open Science is collaborative
Researchers and scientists are undoubtedly the key players in open science, but others in the community including teaching staff, librarians, publishers, leaders and administrators in the education sector, technicians and developers could all be taking part in the movement. Advocacy initiatives could be carried out collaboratively and they are not hard to be seen in the global context. One major international initiative is the “International Open Access Week” organized by SPARC in partnership with the Open Access Week Advisory Committee, which has been running for over 15 years. The event provided an opportunity for everyone in the community to exchange ideas, knowledge and inspirations on open science and open access.
The International Open Access Week 2024
The Webinar
This year, the dates of the International Open Access (OA) Week are from 21 to 27 October 2024. At HKU Libraries, we are organizing a webinar “Towards Equity and Excellence: HKU Libraries’ Journey to Support Open Science” on 22 October 2024, aiming to introduce the concepts of open science and support available at the HKU Libraries to the HKU community. Register here to reserve your place or receive a recording even if it may not fit your schedule.
Launch of the Open Science Guide
We are thrilled to announce that the HKU Libraries is launching the comprehensive guide on open science this month. In pursuit of better communicating the components of open science, this guide covers information and resources on a wide range of topics including preregistration, preprint, open access publishing, open peer review, open data, open-source software and codes and responsible use of open materials. It aims to support HKU researchers in navigating the complexities of Open Science and adopting open research practices.
Open Science Master Challenge
The master challenge is back! Last year we launched an online quiz focusing on open access publishing concepts and supporting resources available at the HKU Libraries. This year, the challenge comes back with new questions on open science. Challengers could take the quiz to test out how well they know about open science, and it may aid them to learn how to fill out those knowledge gaps. Tired of the readings? Take the quiz to learn open science in an interactive way!
Check out this list of events available across the world during the week to learn more on the trending discussion topics related to open science and how the global community is celebrating the OA Week 2024.
The HKU Libraries is committed to promoting and advocating open science. While we are striving for acquisition of resources supporting HKU researchers to adopt open research practices, we encourage everyone to engage in open science with their expertise. In the end, our collaborative effort in open science advocacy will not only advance individual research but also move the entire scientific community towards a future where knowledge is truly open and accessible to all.
