Summary of the Open Science session at EOLE 2024, part of Navigating the New EU Regulatory Landscape in Open Source.
Context. The EU and many research organisations increasingly push for Open Science in publicly funded projects, a goal closely aligned with Open Source principles. Open Science is broader, covering open access, open data, open methods (code and algorithms) and open collaboration.
Origins. The Open Access movement emerged in the early 2000s (Budapest declaration, 2002). Following Peter Suber, open-access literature should be “digital, online, free of charge and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions”. Open Science extends this from access to the final paper toward access to the work in progress, with a focus on sharing and collaboration.
Three readings of openness (Ludovica Paseri): democratisation of access to scientific content; institutionalisation under “as open as possible, as closed as necessary” (sharing, transparency, integrity); and openness for pluralism (epistemic equality and inclusiveness).
EU data framework. A distinction between outgoing research data (Directive 2019/1024 art. 10; Regulation 2021/695 art. 14) and incoming data (GDPR research provisions, DGA data altruism, DSA art. 40, Data Act art. 21).
Open Science vs Open Source. Similarities: non-rival nature and shared objectives (accessibility, reproducibility, reusability, replicability). Differences: publication cadence (publish once vs publish early and often), IPR logic, motivation and reward systems, and infrastructure costs.
What science can learn from Open Source. Strength through openness and freedom; licensing as the ground rules of communities; the centrality of community and governance. This requires changing scientific incentives, moving away from measuring patents and licensing revenue. Open tensions remain: corporate influence, reproducibility at scale, and inclusiveness (who gets to participate in science).
Resources
Malcolm Bain, Open Source and Open Science: a happy partnership? Open Source and Open Science : A happy partnership? – EOLE
Ludovica Paseri, Data Regulations, Open Data and Open Science: Data Regulations, Open Data and Open Science – EOLE
Aurelio Ruiz, Issues of open science and licensing from a practical perspective in academic research: Issues of open science and licensing from a practical perspective in academic research – EOLE
Full EOLE 2024 synthesis: EOLE 2024 – Navigating the New EU Regulatory Landscape in Open Source – EOLE
How are you bridging Open Science and Open Source in your work? Share below.