Strategy & Planning

Developing an Open Science culture within a research group requires addressing and dispelling common misconceptions about Open Science. It also requires opportunities for learning tools and methods to apply Open Science principles. We have incorporated three regular events into our research group’s organizational structure and culture:

• Weekly 1-hour event: Weekly event with a shared Google Doc as a notebook. Prior to the event, everyone adds their notes to the Google Doc in four categories (Doing this week, Done last week, Support needed, Other announcements). The purpose of this event is to keep everyone in the group aligned and updated, but it is also an opportunity to discuss Open Science elements of individual projects.
• Quarterly 4-hour event: Our Quarterly event allows for work and sharing of group-wide projects. We also invite external speakers to help us learn more about working together efficiently. Every event has at least one element that addresses Open Science principles.
• Yearly 2-day event: We organize an annual 2-day retreat where the research group comes together for an extended period to discuss their work, share best practices, and develop strategies for incorporating Open Science principles into our research.

When fostering an Open Science culture, we are confronted with misconceptions around publishing data and code openly with permissive licenses. Some common misconceptions we are tackling in our strategic meetings are:

Misconception 1: Publishing my data does not benefit anyone

Counterargument: Publishing research data can benefit both the researcher and the scientific community. Sharing data increases the visibility of the research, potentially leading to more citations and recognition for the researcher. It promotes collaboration and enables other researchers to build upon the existing work, fostering innovation and scientific progress while avoiding inefficiencies.

Misconception 2: Others may criticize my code

Counterargument: While it is true that open-source code may be subject to criticism, this can be a positive aspect of Open Science. Constructive criticism can help identify potential issues, improve the code, and contribute to the overall quality of the project.

Misconception 3: Publishing my content under CC-BY-NC will prevent people from exploiting my content commercially.

Counterargument: While the CC-BY-NC (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial) license does restrict commercial use of the content, it may also inadvertently limit the potential impact and reach of your work.

By using a CC-BY-NC license, you prevent the following use cases:

• Commercial use in academic research: Researchers working in collaboration with commercial entities or receiving funding from commercial sources may be unable to use your content, limiting the potential for interdisciplinary research and collaboration.
• Commercial use in educational materials: Publishers of textbooks, online courses, and other educational materials that are sold for profit may be unable to include your content, reducing its potential reach and impact on students and educators.
• Commercial use in software development: Companies developing software or applications that incorporate your content may be unable to do so under a CC-BY-NC license, limiting the potential for innovation and the development of new tools and technologies.
• Commercial use in creative works: Artists, writers, and other creators who wish to incorporate your content into their commercial works may be unable to do so, limiting the potential for your work to inspire and influence others.