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Open Science and OpenX Initiative

Our Understanding of Open Science

Open Science is an umbrella term for various practices, which also vary by subject, and which represent demands of and on science for opening up. These include practices such as open access, open data, open review, open source and open hardware, open education, as well as citizen science and transdisciplinary research. These practices have three dimensions in common: inclusion and collaboration, accessibility and subsequent use, along with transparency and review of research results (cf. et al. Fecher, Leihmüller and Blümel 2018). Open science practices are relevant to the entire research process, ranging from the development of research ideas and the selection of methods to the subsequent use of research results within and outside academia.

The Reason for an OpenX Mission Statement for the Alliance

One of the central goals of the Berlin University Alliance is to promote and intensify open science practices. This is how the excellence alliance responds to current developments in science policy and scientific practice. These include, for example, the establishment of the European Open Science Cloud, international initiatives such as the DORA Declaration, and the German government's focus on the digitalization of science and innovation. A mandate for the Berlin University Alliance and its partner institutions to act and shape the future of the alliance also results from the amendment of the Berlin Higher Education Act, in which the promotion of open science is now also firmly anchored.

In order to achieve this goal, a mission statement for open science is under development at the BUA and is to be implemented as part of the OpenX initiative, which will provide guidance for the development and enhancement of measures and initiatives in the coming years. In the consultation process, the various existing Berlin initiatives are also to be given a forum in which to become further acquainted with each other and to establish networks.

The Consultation Process within the Alliance

The goal of developing an OpenX mission statement supported by a broad majority makes it necessary to consult as many stakeholders as possible during the process. Therefore, the mission statement will be developed in a two-stage consultation process with experts and users, starting in the first half of 2022.

In the first phase, focus group discussions on diverse topics will be held in March and early April. The task is to develop mutual understanding of the requirements for the mission statement and to work out initial guidelines. We are currently inviting people to the following focus groups:

  • Open Access on Publication
  • Open Data and Research Data Management
  • Open Science Skills in Teaching and Further Education
  • Open Source and Open Hardware
  • Citizen Science, Transdisciplinarity, and Innovation Transfer
  • Open Science and Assessment Systems

For the second phase, we invited experts and users from the Berlin University Alliance and the Berlin research environment to comment on the results of the focus groups. In a third phase, we extended invitations to an open space, where the results of the focus groups and any comments will be discussed and compiled in a text. This open space has been scheduled for the second half of June. The resulting guidelines and documentation of the consultations will then be presented to the BUA's Board of Directors for adoption.

On this website, you can read about the consultation process, the discussions, results and further steps on the way to approving the OpenX mission statement.

Contact

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email us at stefan.skupien@berlin-university-alliance.de 

Links to Open Science in the Berlin Research Area

Services, Institutions and Initiatives

Open Science projects with funding from the Berlin University Alliance

Knowledge about Open Science practices

Examples of institutional open science strategies (domestic and international)