Interview with researcher, project and programme manager Teodora Konach on research integrity and open science in Europe.
According to experts, research integrity and open science, whereby research data and processes are freely available to re-use, are of the utmost importance for a high quality of science, including reproducibility of research results, and to ensure a fruitful relationship between science and society.
Ahead of the STOA event ‘Research Integrity in Open Science for Europe’ on 21 February 2024, we speak with researcher Teodora Konach who has been developing strategic policies and guidelines on responsible open science’ within the Horizon 2020-funded ROSiE (Responsible Open Science in Europe) project. She outlines some of the benefits and challenges related to the sharing of research data and creating knowledge with and for society (co-creation).
What is meant by the term open science?
Teodora Konach: Open science is described as a movement or set of principles to make the scientific process accessible, inclusive and available to everyone. It allows a broader discussion not just of the outputs, but also of the methods and data that are used.
There are different approaches to open science, some are putting more emphasis on the tools and digital infrastructure, while others are focusing on the values that are required to make open science a reality. These values (quality, integrity, equity, fairness, diversity and inclusiveness) are not new, science has always contributed to advance society, but open science involves making all stages of research, from the original research questions and input data to the methods and outputs, visible.
It also encourages the involvement of groups and communities that have traditionally not been so active in scientific processes. Hence, the need to carefully consider how these values are applied at every step.
Why do we need open science?
Teodora Konach: I see it as a natural development, an incorporation of the digital tools that are available, which enables researchers to share their work globally, easily and quickly, making it more accessible and transparent than ever before.
Different actors can become involved at all stages in the generation of knowledge, including the earliest ones, where they can help validate whether the research is needed or relevant before more resources and funding are committed to it.
Some open science initiatives, like the ‘diamond open access’ (a scholarly publication model with no fees to either the author or reader), freely accessible repositories and the Helsinki Initiative on Multilingualism in Scholarly Communication will foster and strengthen equity and inclusion in research.
What are the challenges to open science?
Teodora Konach: We can think about two types of challenges: technological challenges and values-based or ethical ones.
Technological challenges, related to digital networks and infrastructure, are still a significant barrier to open science in many low-and-middle income countries. There are critical inequalities when it comes to accessibility to digital tools, which is limiting how knowledge is re-used. Overcoming these challenges requires long-term strategic investment in both infrastructure and training to give individuals the skills to make the most of open science.
Open access to publications is strongly supported by funders such as the European Union and the Wellcome Trust, and is one of the most advanced components of open science. It is hugely beneficial for the scientific community and society at large but unfortunately, this model is also being misused by predatory journals, disregarding academic rigor and quality standards. This highlights the need for open science to operate within a trust environment, which brings us to the second type of challenges, the values-based or ethical ones.
The ROSiE project’s main focus has been on explicitly aligning the open science movement with the principles of research ethics and integrity with the aim of providing tailored guidelines and solutions. Open science has to be responsible towards researchers, research participants and society.
I think that the values-based challenges facing open science are very similar to the ones raised by emerging technologies; the tools and outputs produced require comparable attention and reflection.
How are research integrity and open science connected?
Teodora Konach: The principles of ‘traditional’ research apply to open science, but they have to acknowledge the challenges related to the new open science tools and the speed and reach that the digital environment provides.
Part of the difficulty is that open science is so diverse. There are many different aspects, with some initiatives concentrating on publishing, others on data collection, data storage, peer review…and involving different actors, such as citizen scientists. Each initiative and group require their own guidelines.
There are also discipline-related differences, that are affecting attitudes and the speed of uptake of open science. As part of the ROSiE project, we have developed discipline-sensitive guidelines and training materials for life & health sciences, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, to help researchers and other actors engage with responsible open science.
Where are we in the transition to open science? What needs to happen next?
Teodora Konach: In early 2022 we mapped national open science policies and strategies in EU countries and some associated countries to examine progress towards open science. We found that at the national level, most EU countries are strongly supportive of and committed to the open science movement, especially to open access and data sharing, as demonstrated by the creation of national and international digital infrastructures such as the European Open Science Cloud that enables researchers across disciplines and countries to store, curate and share data.
Of course, there are different levels of readiness within the EU, partly due to cultural, legal and administrative differences. open science involves institutional or organizational cultural changes that are difficult to implement and monitor, and that have to be driven at least in part by the research community itself, including citizen scientists.
Our project has also provided materials to start a balanced dialogue on the benefits and values of open science, not just within Europe but also with global partners to facilitate wider collaborations. By working with international experts, we found that some of the models we are fostering are Western centric and that we should take into account frameworks and tools that work very well in other research settings.
The EU is well prepared to develop and strengthen engagement in open science, the question now is how to make it sustainable. For example, we need to ensure that large datasets, repositories and scholarly publications will be re-usable in the next 10, 20, 30 years, taking into consideration the energy costs, the climate crisis and security risks.
Useful links:
• Wellcome Trust: Open access policy
• Open Access to scientific publications and research data in Horizon 2020: Frequently Asked Questions
• Open science in Horizon Europe
