A Philosophy of Open Science for Diverse Research Environments

The Open Science Studies group is engaged in research, education and policy interventions to foster responsible, sustainable and socially engaged research and innovation around the globe. We are strongly committed to help bridge the gaps between social and academic life to foster planetary health, and particularly to ensure that research carried out by public institutions serves the needs of human communities and their ecosystems.

At the core of the Open Science Studies group is the PHIL_OS project (“A Philosophy of Open Science for Diverse Research Environments”, 2021–2026). PHIL_OS aims to develop an empirically grounded philosophy of open science that emphasises the diversity of research environments around the world and articulates the conditions under which open science can leverage such diversity to promote good research practice.

We are based in Munich, around the Chair of Philosophy and History of Science and Technology at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), where we are actively involved in developing the Public Science Lab and the Ethical Data Initiative (EDI) ; and in Exeter, at the Exeter Centre for the Study of the Life Sciences of the University of Exeter (UK), where this work started back in the 2010s.

   

News

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Paola Castaño and Sabina Leonelli, in collaboration with Louise Bezuidenhout, Ismael Rafols, and Andrea Vargiu, argue for the critical role of case studies as evidence for shaping open science policies. Their work, Case studies are vital to monitoring the development of open science, highlights how case studies provide rich, contextual insights that can enhance the effectiveness and inclusivity of open science frameworks.

Fotis Tsiroukis and Sabina Leonelli have recently published the ELGO-DIMITRA Data Management Practices & Requirements: A Scoping Report, which explores the current state of data practices in agricultural science as implemented by the Greek Agricultural Organization ELGO-DIMITRA, a pivotal national governmental body. This publication complements a previous study on data practices in Ghana: Data Management at the Crops Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Ghana: A Scoping Report. Both reports provide valuable insights into agricultural data management across diverse contexts, underscoring the importance of tailored approaches to data governance and the role of national organizations in shaping global agricultural research. 

Sabina Leonelli discussed the ongoing work of the PHIL_OS project, as well as related new initiatives, such as the Ethical Data Initiative and the Public Science Lab in Munich, as part of a panel on the future of the philosophy of science. The panel, featuring also Heather Douglas and Holly Andersen, was organised and hosted by Alan Love as part of a major conference at the University of Minnesota in October 2024. Watch the video here: Round Table: Themes and Approaches 

Paola Castaño and Sabina Leonelli, in their publication, Interrogating and Monitoring Equitable Open Science, examined insights from four sessions held at the 2024 EASST/4S conference, mainly focusing on the challenges and proposed solutions in Open Science's equity and inclusivity. 

Emma Cavazzoni gave a talk “Sharing Data, Sharing Technologies: Data-Technology Communities in Haly.Id” at the Forum on Philosophy, Engineering, and Technology (fPET) (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 1719 September 2024).

Events

The successful workshop, "Understanding Misinformation," brought together philosophers and social science and technology students to discuss what it means to be informed, particularly the problems relating to misinformation concerning scientific research and its use as evidence for decision-making. The event occurred on 9 December 2024 at KKV Hansa E.V. Briennerstr. 39, 80333 München.

The PHIL_OS project presented the “Openness and Inequity in Research” symposium at the New Orleans Philosophy of Science Association conference, November 14-20, 2024. The symposium featured contributions by Nathanael Sheehan, Rose Trappes, Carole Lee, Helen Longino, Rachel Ankeny, and Sabina Leonelli. It represented a significant stepping stone in the project’s conceptualization of injustice in open research systems. Check the program here: https://site.pheedloop.com/event/psa24/home

 

Project meetings

The project has monthly meetings open to collaborators around the world.