Archives des mots-clés : open science

Notebook and Open science : toward more FAIR play

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Authors : Mariannig Le Béchec, Célya Gruson Daniel, Clémence Lascombes, Émilien Schultz

Notebooks are now commonly used in digital research practices. Despite their increasing ubiquity, the characteristics, roles, and uses associated with notebooks have seldom been studied from a social science perspective.

In this article, we present an overview of the available empirical work on notebooks in order to describe existing practices, typologies crafted to grasp their diversity, and their limitations when used in data analysis workflows.

Following this review, which highlights a focus of studies on interactive computational notebooks specifically within data science rather than research practices in academic contexts, we discuss the role of notebooks as a vector and lever for the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles associated with open science.

URL : Notebook and Open science : toward more FAIR play

DOI : https://doi.org/10.46298/jdmdh.13428

Essential work, invisible workers: The role of digital curation in COVID-19 Open Science

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Authors : Irene V. Pasquetto, Amina A. Abdu, Natascha Chtena

In this paper, we examine the role digital curation practices and practitioners played in facilitating open science (OS) initiatives amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In Summer 2023, we conducted a content analysis of available information regarding 50 OS initiatives that emerged—or substantially shifted their focus—between 2020 and 2022 to address COVID-19 related challenges. Despite growing recognition of the value of digital curation for the organization, dissemination, and preservation of scientific knowledge, our study reveals that digital curatorial work often remains invisible in pandemic OS initiatives.

In particular, we find that, even among those initiatives that greatly invested in digital curation work, digital curation is seldom mentioned in mission statements, and little is known about the rationales behind curatorial choices and the individuals responsible for the implementation of curatorial strategies. Given the important yet persistent invisibility of digital curatorial work, we propose a shift in how we conceptualize digital curation from a practice that merely “adds value” to research outputs to a practice of knowledge production.

We conclude with reflections on how iSchools can lead in professionalizing the field and offer suggestions for initial steps in that direction.

URL : Essential work, invisible workers: The role of digital curation in COVID-19 Open Science

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24965

Open Science Alternatives to Scopus and the Web of Science: A Case Study in Regional Resilience

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Authors : Irina D. Turgel, Olga A. Chernova

The recent years have seen increasing support for open science in academic circles. However, the large number of scientometric databases calls into question the comparability of the search and analysis tools they provide.

Using the subject area of regional resilience as an example, in this study, the aim was to analyze the capabilities of widely used databases to serve as alternatives to Scopus and Web of Science in solving research problems.

As alternatives, in the present article, the following open, free scientometric databases were considered: AMiner, Wizdom.ai, the Lens, Dimensions, and OpenAlex. Their capabilities were demonstrated for the subject area under study, and the obtained results were compared.

The study results showed that alternative databases provide essential data on trends in scientific development. It is noteworthy that they largely replicate the provided data, supplementing and expanding them by using different types of data sources. However, open databases do not guarantee a high quality of materials and exhibit a relatively low level of metadata.

Thus, it is premature to abandon the use of Scopus and Web of Science in research activities. Since scientometric databases were developed in different contexts, they are characterized by structural and functional heterogeneity, which complicates their comparison.

Therefore, a selective approach should be adopted for the choice of scientometric databases, taking into account financial and other constraints, as well as the specifics of research problems.

URL : Open Science Alternatives to Scopus and the Web of Science: A Case Study in Regional Resilience

DOI : https://doi.org/10.3390/publications12040043

Two scholarly publishing cultures? Open access drives a divergence in European academic publishing practices

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Authors : Leon Kopitar, Nejc Plohl, Mojca Tancer Verboten, Gregor Štiglic, Roger Watson, Dean Korošak

The current system of scholarly publishing is often criticized for being slow, expensive, and not transparent. The rise of open access publishing as part of open science tenets, promoting transparency and collaboration, together with calls for research assesment reforms are the results of these criticisms. The emergence of new open access publishers presents a unique opportunity to empirically test how universities and countries respond to shifts in the academic publishing landscape. These new actors challenge traditional publishing models, offering faster review times and broader accessibility, which could influence strategic publishing decisions.

Our findings reveal a clear division in European publishing practices, with countries clustering into two groups distinguished by the ratio of publications in new open access journals with accelerated review times versus legacy journals. This divide underscores a broader shift in academic culture, highlighting new open access publishing venues as a strategic factor influencing national and institutional publishing practices, with significant implications for research accessibility and collaboration across Europe.

Arxiv : https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.06282

Model proposal of libraries functions to implement open science: Analysis from Latin American librarianship

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Author : Juan Miguel Palma Peña

Libraries and open science are linked by common objectives, owing to libraries being actors that develop free access to information for many, and open science is an action that encourages free circulation of data and research outputs. Therefore both the actor and the action contribute to the satisfaction of information needs.

The aim of this research is to analyze the actions that governments, universities and libraries have carried out to implement open science in Latin America, based on the analysis of factors and library functions. The methodology of this research comprised a bibliographic review and quantitative methods.

For the exploratory analysis, the main sources for retrieval information were the official web portals of universities and library entities, the State of Open Data Policy Repository, the Registry of Research Data and the Dataverse Project. A general conclusion is that academic libraries are actors and laboratories with elements to support the implementation of open science.

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352241276838

Economic valuation of open research data: A conceptual framework and methodological approach

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Authors : Zhifang Tu, Jiashu Shen

The economic significance of open research data is widely acknowledged, yet its quantification remains challenging. This paper presents an effective valuation instrument to help stakeholders understand and evaluate the economic benefits of open research data. By conducting a scoping review and prioritizing user engagement, this study introduces a comprehensive conceptual framework for the economic valuation of open research data. The valuation is based on economic value and willingness to pay, employing the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM).

It incorporates per-use models (view, download, and request) and periodic subscription models (monthly and yearly). An empirical survey was conducted at the National Basic Science Data Center (NBSDC) in China to verify this framework. Both pricing models, comprising five distinct tactics, was supported by surveyed users. Measuring economic value by views and by year was preferred, while willingness to pay by downloads and by year was considered more reasonable.

Overall, the most applicable valuation approach is on a yearly basis. Through this case study at NBSDC, specific pricing tactics were identified, and the total economic value and users’ willingness to pay were assessed. This study is arguably the first to establish a conceptual framework with pricing tactics from a user perspective. This methodological approach for economic valuation of open research data provides evidence and tools for future research, policy formulation, and resource allocation in the context of open science and innovation.

URL : Economic valuation of open research data: A conceptual framework and methodological approach

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1093/reseval/rvae033

The Living Library: a process-based tool for open literature review, probing the boundaries of open science

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Authors : Elisabeth Angerer, Maura Cassidy Burke, Simon Dirks, Arthur Bakker, Aitana Bilinski Torres, Toine Pieters

The Living Library is a novel tool for opening the scientific process of literature reviewing. We here present its core features, set-up and workflow, and provide the open-source code via GitHub (https://github.com/Simon-Dirks/living-library). The Living Library allows researchers to sort articles thematically and temporally, has a built-in open logbook, and uses a responsive methodology.

These core features render the Living Library both a practical tool, and an educative framework for reflection on the research process. Its use deepened our understanding of what it means and what it takes to open science, which we summarise in three main lessons: openness is multidirectional, involving sharing and receiving; openness is relational and as such requires boundary work; and openness entails judgments of relevance.

This highlights the intimate connection between research relevance and open science: Opening science is no categorical practice, but the continuous syncing to a world in motion—opening up for it and to it, to varying degrees at different boundaries, in response to what is happening and what matters.

The Living Library models what such syncing can look like in relation to the evolving academic conversation. We encourage further experimentation with the Living Library to probe the boundaries of open science.

URL : The Living Library: a process-based tool for open literature review, probing the boundaries of open science

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-024-00964-z