Benefits and obstacles of openness in science: an analytical framework illustrated with case study evidence from Argentina

ARZA, VALERIA; FRESSOLI, MARIANO

Barcelona

Conferencia; 4S/EASST; 2016

Doing open science is to collaborate openly with others in a scientific endeavor and to share openlythe outcomes of the scientific process. Benefits of open science are plenty and diverse, ranging fromincreasing research productivity, to empowering local population and other participants in thescientific process, to improving the democratization of science. However, there are plenty ofmeanings and practices of open science and thus when analyzing concrete open science initiativesone finds a full lot of hybrid forms of openness. We identify and discuss the different elements ofopen science and their benefits and obstacles as they were discussed in the literature. Our claim isthat both benefits and barriers are somehow related to the specific aspect of the practice of openscience that is being opened (or attempted to be opened). We propose an analytical frameworkbuilding from RIN / NESTA?s (2010) dimensions of openness (what is being opened, under whatconditions or how, and who can enjoy the benefits of openness) and research stages. Our frameworkallows us to characterize different open science initiatives and to compare them with ?ideal? levels ofopenness in different elements so as to make the most of potential benefits. The framework alsoindicates what specific obstacles or barriers will need to be overcome when trying to opening-upspecific elements of the practice of open science. We illustrate our framework by discussing andArgentinean initiative on open science in limnology studies.