Jon Tennant talks about barriers to open science for junior researchers
Plenary: Open for all? Diversity & disparity in Open Science.
Presentation Abstract:
What are the barriers to Open Science, and how do they impact upon different demographics? Open Science is supposed to be about inclusivity, equality, and rigour. But is the way it is implemented meeting these ideals, or simply creating a new set of barriers to scholarship? Younger researchers are basically trying to survive within a hyper-competitive academic system. They are beset on all sides by systemic control and inertia, power dynamics, and fear. What they want to do for science is not always what is best for their career. This creates a system of social barriers that cannot be overcome by mandates and policies that do little to address these structural biases.
Paywalls inflict a huge level of disparity on younger researchers. They may feel they cannot afford the exorbitant fees charged by some publishers for Open Access, even if their research funders provide support for it. The way OA is currently implemented has switched the barrier from the reader side to the author side, due in part to political broadsiding from commercial publishers. Unfunded or self-funded grad students, as well as those from emerging economies, are basically doomed when it comes to such high author-facing charges.
More: http://opensciencefair.eu/speakers/jon-tennant
DAY 2 - PLENARY
Alternative system of medicine herbal drug technology syllabus
OSFair2017 | Barriers to Open Science for junior researchers
1. Or: How I learned to stop
worrying and love the science
Jon Tennant @protohedgehog
2. We spend 1/3 of the total global research
budget (~£59/175bn) on publishing &
communicating results that 99% of
people cannot access.
JonTennant-@protohedgehog
http://www.rin.ac.uk/system/files/attachments/Activites-costs-flows-report.pdf
3. What is open science?
Open Science is about using science to help
address the major challenges to society.
or...
Open Science is about democratisation of research
processes and outputs.
Jon Tennant @protohedgehog
4. Thanks to commercial publishers for all
their help in progressing Open Science.
Where would we be without you.
Jon Tennant @protohedgehog
Credit: Mike Eisen
6. The current state of scholarly communication?
Slowly but surely
adapting to the Web
of 1995
7. Open Science principles
Socio-cultural
• Inclusivity
• Equality
• Accountability
• Freedom
• Fairness
Jon Tennant @protohedgehog
Technical
• Rigour
• Transparency
• Reproducibility
• FAIR
• TOP
8. What do we mean by ‘barriers?’
Any obstacle or
circumstance that
prevents access
and inclusion.
Jon Tennant @protohedgehog
9. BARRIERS
HOW IS THIS HELPING
SCIENCE HAVE AN
IMPACT ON THE
GLOBAL CHALLENGES
WE FACE?
10. Welcome to the jungle
FEAR
POWERCOMPETITION
INERTIA
Jon Tennant
• Socio-cultural
• Technological
• Political
• Organisational
• Economic
• Legal
11. Are policies and mandates really the
best thing to overcome this?
Jon Tennant @protohedgehog
• What are the major issues?
• Systemic control and inertia
• Abuse of power dynamics
• Fear
• Marginalisation of certain
demographics
• These are structural biases and
barriers
• Mandates and policies do little to
combat them
14. Values in open science
Drivers
• Reduce publication bias
• Increase replicability
• Increase reliability of scientific record
• Make publicly funded research
publicly accessible
• Make research more efficient
Barriers
• Fear of scooping or ideas being stolen
• Fear of not being credited for ideas
• Fear of errors and public humiliation
• Fear of risk to reputation
• Fear of reduced scientific quality
• Fear of information overload
Jon Tennant @protohedgehog
15. Social and environmental factors
Drivers
• Dissatisfaction with traditional
models
• Interest in experimentation
• Objection to assessment criteria
• Demand for public accountability
• Desire to influence global challenges
• Career benefits through visibility
• Digital-savvy emergent workforce
Barriers
• Lack of awareness an training
• Cultural inertia and misinformation
• Challenging the establishment
• Follow the status quo to succeed
• Perceived lack of reward
• Perceived subversion of science
• Short-sighted funding decisions
Jon Tennant @protohedgehog
16. The consequences?
Those who want to create,
explore, and innovate are
stifled and chase out the
system.
The status quo lives on in
perpetuity.
Science suffers.
17. In my country there is problem..
https://www.natureindex.com/news-blog/young-researchers-preach-open-access-yet-many-dont-practice
“Researchers under 35 as well as PhD candidates, master’s students and research
assistants had the least experience with open-access publishing.”
18. Is the cost too damn high?
https://twitter.com/paleorob/status/886969815599955968
Jon Tennant @protohedgehog
20. • Almost all journals allow some form of it
• Easily discoverable via e.g., Unpaywall
• High costs are due to political broadsiding
and sabotage by commercial publishers.
FUD.
https://figshare.com/articles/How_to_make_your_research_open_access_
For_free_and_legally_/5285512
22. An OA education crisis
• There is ALWAYS an OA
option.
• But what if there isn’t?
• There is.
• So stop arguing about it.
http://fossilsandshit.com/paleorxiv/journal-
policies/
23. Attitudes vs practice
“60.8% of researchers do not self-archive their work even
when it is free and in keeping with journal policy.”
- Smith et al., (2017)
https://health-policy-systems.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12961-017-0235-3
“In a field where OA seems of practical and
ethical importance for the sharing of
knowledge promoting health equity, it is
surprising that researchers do not make
their papers available when they are legally
able to do so without any cost.”
- Smith et al., (2017)
24. Jon Tennant @protohedgehog
No choice in
publishing
venue
Forced to play
the game
Reinforcement
of power
imbalances
Cultural inertia
and innovation
stifling
Commercial
interests govern
25. Publish or perish?
• We have an academic system where researchers
are forced to enter into a publication-based
economy dictated by commercial values.
• The mantra ‘publish or perish’ is dead, replaced
by ‘publish and perish’ due to under-funding and
competitiveness in climbing the academic career
ladder.
• When you’re at the bottom of that ladder, it
makes perfect sense to prioritise the perception
of impact over the openness.
Jon Tennant @protohedgehog
29. It all comes down to this
Guidance
Lack of clarity
over assessment
of outputs and
activities.
Incentives
Lack of
professional
incentives for
sharing or being
open.
Rewards
Hiring,
promotion,
tenure decisions
all fail to account
for open science
activities.
33. Open Science enhances your career
Data from The Open Access Citation Advantage Service, SPARC Europe, accessed March 2016.
http://f1000research.com/articles/5-632/v3
38. “Open Access wins all
of the arguments, all
of the time.”
- OpenCon 2014
39. “It’s about having your
Open Access cake and
eating it.”
• Jon Tennant (just now)
40. Which side of history do you want to
be on?
http://roarmap.eprints.org/
We should be in a position where we are able to influence our
academic system, not be stifled by the current actors in it.
42. What do we need to change the
culture?
• Education and training for our students
• Learn skills for new ways of doing
research
• Empowerment and leadership for the next
generation
• Shifting power dynamics to reduce bias
and abuse
• Building a global community based on
sharing and collaboration
• Massive-scale engagement to re-align
Open Science with current incentive
structures
Jon Tennant @protohedgehog
43. Stuff students/ECRs can do right now
• Get on social media.
• Build or join an open community!
• Learn about the problems. Help
to find the solutions.
• Stand up for what you believe in.
• Be passionate about your science!
• Wear open on your sleeve.
44. At the end of the, it’s our
system to inherit. So
shouldn’t we get a say in it?