Conclusion and Outlook to Open Science
In this report, the results of the pilot study of the Berlin Science Survey on open science were presented in detail. Open science is an umbrella term, holding different scientific practices for improving accessibility, traceability and reusability of scientific results. The BSS addressed open access publications, data sharing, code and material sharing, open peer review, and citizen science.
There are clear discipline-specific differences in the frequency with which the different open science practices are implemented. On the one hand, this is evidence of a culturally varying degree of dissemination, but on the other hand it indicates that some practices are more relevant for certain research contexts than others. This is because the various open science practices have different implementation possibilities in particular research contexts and cannot be implemented in the same way by all scientists. Steering policy implementation concepts must therefore consider the respective research contexts and research cultures.
The attitudes towards the expansion of open science are positive among the vast majority of scientists. The positive attitudes are supported by assessments of the expected effects of open science for the science system, where the expectations of positive and useful effects for science outweigh the perception of dangers and risks.
In contrast, fewer scientists see a personal benefit from open science. Especially the younger scientists expect an improvement of the research situation.
Overall, there is a positive correlation between attitudes and practice: those who practice open science more frequently or regularly also have more positive attitudes toward open science and are more open to its expansion.
There are still problems when it comes to implementing open science. Even in the case of already well-established open access publishing, almost a quarter of respondents still see great or very great difficulties. There are differences in status groups and, above all, in subject groups. Thus, it is necessary to consider the diversity of research contexts and situations in which researchers work in order to reduce existing difficulties and hurdles in a targeted manner.
Future investigations into open science should seek to identify research contexts with particular difficulties in order to target measures for realistically improving its implementation. Such detailed investigations go beyond the possibilities of pure cross-sectional surveys, so that it is recommended to use mixed methods here, in particular in-depth qualitative methods.
The Berlin Science Survey is designed as a trend study and will regularly re-evaluate the developments of research practices and attitudes of scientists in the Berlin research area towards open science.