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Open science

society Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Open science is a big movement to share research with everyone. It aims to make scientific work transparent and easy to find. This includes sharing papers, data, software, and even physical samples. When scientists share these things, they can work together in big networks. This movement helps people at all levels of society access knowledge. It makes it easier to publish and communicate what we learn about the world.

Osc2021-unesco-open-science-no-gray
Osc2021-unesco-open-science-no-gray

Sharing research is a step-by-step process of many activities. Scientists first collect data and then they analyze it. After that, they publish their findings and others critique them. This allows for the reuse of data to find new things. However, some barriers can make this hard to do. For example, some publishers use paywalls to charge money for research. Other scientists might worry about losing control of their information.

To deposit or not to deposit, that is the question - journal.pbio.1001779.g001
To deposit or not to deposit, that is the question - journal.pbio.1001779.g001

This way of working has roots in the distant past. It is a continuation of practices from the 17th century. Back then, the first academic journals were created to share resources. These journals helped meet the growing demand for scientific knowledge. Today, the movement grew from tensions in the scientific world. Some felt pressure to compete and keep research secret for profit. Others believed that being open and collaborative was more ethical.

Sociologists Benedikt Fecher and Sascha Friesike found five ways to look at this. The Infrastructure School uses internet tools and computing networks. They use things like the Open Science Grid to manage huge amounts of data. The Measurement School looks for new ways to see scientific impact. They use "altmetrics" to track things like blogs and social media. The Public School wants to make science easy for everyone to understand. They even use citizen science where regular people help with research tasks.

The Democratic School believes everyone has an equal right to knowledge. They focus on Open Access and Open Data for all people. This is very important for human and economic development. Finally, the Pragmatic School wants to make research more efficient. They believe sharing results early helps everyone work better together. This idea is similar to the concept of open innovation. By working together, we can make the whole process of science faster.

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