Benefits and obstacles of openness in science: an analytical framework

ARZA, VALERIA; FRESSOLI, MARIANO

Curitiba

Conferencia; XI JORNADAS LATINO AMERICANAS DE ESTUDIOS SOCIALES DE LA CIENCIA Y LA TECNOLOGÍA,; 2016

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