Fecher and Friesike (2014). Open Science: One Term, Five Schools of Thought. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-00026-8_2
Masuzzo and Martens (2017). Do you speak Open Science? Resources and tips to learn the language. doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.2689v1
Open Science is the practice of science in such a way that others can collaborate and contribute, where research data, lab notes and other research processes are freely available, under terms that enable reuse, redistribution and reproduction of the research and its underlying data and methods (FOSTER Open Science definition).
Open Science is transparent and accessible knowledge that is shared and developed through collaborative networks.
- Vicente-Sáez & Martínez-Fuentes 2018
Open Science is about increased rigour, accountability, and reproducibility of research. It is based on the principles of inclusion, fairness, equity, and sharing, and ultimately seeks to change the way research is done, who is involved and how it is valued. It aims to make research more open to participation, review, improvement and (re)use for the world to benefit.
Open Science encompasses a variety of practices such as open access to research output, open research data, open source software/tools, open workflows, citizen science, open educational resources, and alternative methods for research evaluation including open peer review.
What is the difference between Open Science and 'science'?
Open Science refers to doing traditional science with more transparency involved at various stages, for example by openly sharing code and data. Many researchers do this already, but don't call it Open Science.
Does 'Open Science' exclude the Humanities and Social Sciences?
No, the term Open Science is inclusive. Indeed, the case is that sometimes Open Science is more broadly referred to as 'Open Research' or 'Open Scholarship' to be more inclusive of other disciplines, principles and practices.
Does Open Science lead to misuse or misunderstanding of research?
No, the application of Open Science principles is in fact a safeguard against misuse and misunderstanding. Transparency breeds trust, confidence and allows others to verify and validate the research process.
Will Open Science lead to too much information overload?
It is better to have too much information and deal with it, than to have too little and live with the risk of missing the important parts. And there are technologies such as RSS feeds, machine learning and artificial intelligence that are making content aggregation easier.