Figure 1. Promoting openness at different stages of the research process FosterOpenScience.eu

    Open Science

    Define: A new approach to the scientific process whereby researchers perform the steps of conducting their analyses from start to finish on platforms that allow for others to view their progress, make comments, provide support, and suggestions.

    Why Open Science?

    There are a number of benefits to planning, conducting, analyzing, and writing up your research in public forums. 

    1.  Specifying your research plan before you start your study can increase the quality and transparency of your work. 
    2. Publishing in an open space can create accountability in the researcher that will support endeavors to remain as unbiased as possible. 
    3. Others can comment and reflect on your process in real-time providing you with a community for feedback. 
    4. Page numbers in journals are limited and often, the nuances of data collection and analysis are omitted to save space. Students can gain breadth and depth of understanding about conducting studies when they can see the process in real-time and in explicit detail. 
    5. If data are made available, then others can use it. This is important for replicating studies but also for representing minoritized groups. Researchers can “bundle” datasets together to create larger sample sizes that may allow us to study underrepresented minorities and serve their needs and interests more effectively. 
    6. Standards, precedents, and practices can be established for new technologies and techniques in faster and more effective ways. 
    7. We can eliminate the file draw effect. Rather than failed research being hidden at the bottom of the file drawer, researchers can save the community time and resources by publishing their failed research to open science forums. This will let others know what has already been tried so they can avoid wasting time and resources but will also allow for feedback to the original researcher who may find greater value in their failed work.  

    Places you can post your research for public review: 

    1. UNESCO hosts the Global Open Science Partnership
    2. How To Open.Science includes a list of repositories where projects, data, and analyses can be stored.