IFLA ARL Webinar Series | Held online on October 11, 2023 Open science is a new concept that has introduced new ways on how scholarly output has been created, managed, stored, and distributed to the global society. Research and academic institutions have implemented open science initiatives that aim at enhancing academic excellence and addressing societal challenges through knowledge creation and dissemination. Academic and research libraries are being influenced by the open science movement to reposition and reengineer their functions and roles. They are developing open science initiatives that aim at transforming research, teaching, and learning as well as leveraging on digital technologies that enhance transparency and easy accessibility of data, information and knowledge that is shared, redistributed, and reproduced. The presenters discussed academic and research libraries’ engagement in the open science movement and shared insights on how their individual libraries have developed and implemented open science policies and effective strategies on embracing open science agenda. Presentation 1 of this webinar by: Mrs Naniki Maphakwane, Director of Library and Information Services - Botswana Open University and Chair of Botswana Libraries Consortium Access the webinar recording: https://youtu.be/uN_4NVzvn_w?si=ce0yxpZOQmspR2gN

1. TOPIC : OPEN SCIENCE MILESTONES IN BOTSWANA : Advancing Knowledge Together
A Journey Towards Transparency, Collaboration, and Innovation
Naniki S. Maphakwane
Director, Library: Botswana Open University
Chairperson: Botswana Library Consortium
IFLA ARL ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
11th October 2023

2. ‘Open Science (OS) is an umbrella term that touches upon a plurality of concepts such as
citizen science, open data ,open infrastructure, and open access. Scientific values such as
reproducibility, inclusivity, transparency, and collaboration are at its core’.
data

4. PRESENTATION OUTLINE
• Introduction
• Botswana Open Science Landscape
• Milestones achieved
• Challenges and Opportunities
• International Collaboration
• Future Directions

5. Introduction
• Scholarly communication has undergone a profound transformation.
• Traditional publishing models are giving way to more inclusive and accessible
approaches.
• Researchers, institutions, and nations are recognizing the importance of embracing this
shift towards openness
• Botswana, too, has been part of this evolving landscape, however the practices have
been scattered and isolated across the institutions of higher learning,libraries and
research institutions
• Today, we'll delve into Botswana's remarkable journey towards embracing open
science principles
• Botswana’s steps in this field is a demonstration of commitment to adapting and thriving
in this new era of collaborative and transparent research practices.

6. Introduction
• From early 2018 the Botswana Government set to build a knowledge workforce and
relevance towards a Knowledge-based Economy through the Presidents' Reset
Agenda.
• Therefore Botswana’s steps in this field is a demonstration of commitment to support
the President's Reset Agenda that will enable Botswana to compete effectively on a
global platform, with efficient knowledge value additions in place adapting and thriving
in this new era of collaborative and transparent research practices.
• The presentation will we'll explore key milestones, initiatives, and the impact of open
science in Botswana, highlighting its role in advancing knowledge, fostering
international collaboration, and contributing to sustainable development.

7. Introduction………
-Enhances the accessibility and transparency of research
-Accelerates the pace of discovery and innovation
-Strengthen the country’s research ecosystem
- Contributes to global knowledge sharing, collaboration
- Sharing solutions of complex challenges
- enhances the accessibility and transparency of research
- accelerates the pace of discovery and innovation.
Today, we'll uncover the milestones that reflect Botswana's commitment to these
principles and the impact it has had on the scholarly landscape in advancing knowledge,
fostering international collaboration, and contributing to sustainable development.

8. ▪ Botswana Open Science Landscape
•
Growing awareness
Emerging Policies
Open access journals
Open Data initiatives
University repositories
International collaborations
Challenges

9. ▪ Botswana Open Science Landscape
•
• Growing awareness
-OS & OA is gaining recognition and support in Botswana’s HE and Research institutions.
- 2022 Botswana Open Science Symposium 23-11-2023
- BUIST and TCC Open Science RoundTable
- UB,ODOS,BUIST,BLC,BOTHO, engaged in several activities to heighten awareness
• Emerging Policies
- Botswana Open Science & Open Data Policies
- Data Protection Act
- ICT Maitlamo Policy
- Cybercrime and Computing Act
- Copyright and Neighbouring Rights
- Other proposed legal and policy frameworks to support the new policy

10. ▪ Botswana Open Science Landscape
•
• Open access journals
- University of Botswana’s OAJs either owned, supported or edited by University
-Journal of Linguistics Association Southern Africa Development Community Universities
- Botswana Journal of Agriculture and Applied Science
- Botswana Journal of Communications Studies and Applied Linguistic
- Botswana Journal of Technology
- Botswana Notes and Records
- Mosenodi & Marang
- Botswana Journal of Business
- Lonaka Journal of Learning and Teachin
-University of Botswana Law Journal
- BOLESWA
- BOCODOL- DEASA –SADC CDE International Journal of Open and Distance Learning

11. ▪ Botswana Open Science Landscape
•
• Open Data initiatives
- Botswana Open Data Portal: centralized platform for publishing and accessing government
data
- Education Data: Open data in education: data on school performance, enrolment, and
educ. resources
- Healthcare Data: healthcare-related data
- Geospatial Data: GIS data is a crucial component of open data initiatives.
- Agricultural Data: agricultural data such as crop yields, weather information, and agricultural
practices.
- Collaboration with International Organizations: facilitate data sharing and knowledge
exchange.
- Data Training and Capacity Building: Open data initiatives often include training
programs and capacity-building efforts to empower individuals and organizations to effectively
use and contribute to open data resources.

12. ▪ Botswana Open Science Landscape
•
• University repositories
-University of Botswana- UBRISA
- Botswana International University of Science and Technology – BIUSTRE(CRIS)
- Botho University
- Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources
-Botswana Open University(BOUSpace)

13. Milestones Achieved
•
▪ Development open science and open data policies
Botswana Government has embarked in the development of Open Science and
Open Data Policies.
The development is complete and responsible Ministries are undertaking
necessary steps to submit the Cabinet Memorundum to the Cabinet for
approval.
• Growth of open repositories
Local institutions are fully aware of the importance to develop open repositories for
sharing their data and research output. So far five universities mentioned earlier
have repositories, while more will come on board.

14. Milestones Achieved
•
▪ Open Data Innovation
-Botswana Open Data Portal: centralized platform for publishing and accessing government
data
-Education Data: Open data in education: data on school performance, enrolment, and educ.
resources
-Healthcare Data: healthcare-related data
-Geospatial Data: GIS data is a crucial component of open data initiatives.
-Agricultural Data: agricultural data such as crop yields, weather information, and agricultural
practices.
Botswana Open Data Policy will address the isolated data practices and create a more
coherent and effective open data ecosystem through shared frameworks,standards that will
foster collaboration, transparency and improved data quality.

15. Milestones Achieved
•
▪ Collaboration with Global Partners
Collaboration and partnerships that align with specific goals and priorities in the area of open
science are critical. Botswana worked with several partners including :
WACREN-LIBSESNSE,UNESCO,EIFL,CODATA,BOTSREN,UBUNTU-NET.
▪ Support for Open Educational Resources
Conversations around OERs are high on the agenda at national level and new projects are
on line. Botswana Open Educational Resources will provide Frameworks and .
▪ Increased Student Engagement in use of OERs for educational purposes.
More efforts to be done in terms of local production of OERs
▪ Government Investment – Improved Internet Connections, Human Capital
▪ Open Access ,Open Science Conferences and workshops

16. Challenges and Opportunities
•
• Limited awareness and training
• Infrastructure and Technology
• Copyright and licensing
• Funding constraints
• Cultural shift
• Data Privacy and ethics
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration
• Sustainability

17. N International Collaboration
•
• Botswana Government's commitment
• Partnerships with Global Institutions
• Cross-Continental Initiatives
• Hosting International Conferences
-UBUNTU.NET
- Botswana Open Science Symposium
- World Data Week
• Global Research Networks
• Knowledge Exchange

18. Future Directions
• Strengthening Open Access Polices
• Adoption and Implementation of Open Science and Open Data Policies
• Investing in Research Infrastructure
• Promoting Data Management Best Practices
• Advancing Open Educational Resources (OER)
• Fostering a Culture of Openness
• Collaborative Research Networks
• Participation in Global Initiatives
• Evaluating and Measuring Impact

19. THANK YOU
.