Keeping Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access in the Forefront of the Open Science/Scholarship Movement

• In Event: Building a Culture of Open Science in the Education Community: Data on Adoption and a Platform for Change

Abstract

The open science/scholarship movement is a call toward more transparent and rigorous practices within teaching and research (Fecher & Friesike, 2014). The open science movement has focused largely on making it easier to collaborate; share materials, data, and code; make the research process and products more accessible; change incentive structures; and reach non-academic audiences. In addition to focusing on the research process and its products, some open science advocates have also attempted to open up our educational environments, pushing for open educational resources and best practices in open science education (e.g., Downes, 2007; Mishra, 2017; Wagge et al., 2019).
There have, however, been calls toward attention to who is leading the charge around changing guidelines, and if scholars from a variety of backgrounds may be left out if the movement continues on this course (Steltenpohl et al., 2021; Sakaluk, 2021). There have been concerns that the open science movement as currently popularized focuses too much on cognitive, social, and personality psychology, which are largely quantitative in nature and led largely by researchers in North America, Canada, and western Europe (Heinrich et al., 2010; Steltenpohl et al., 2021). Open scholars are calling for increased attention to epistemological, demographic, and geographical diversity and inclusion, attempting to steer the movement away from prescribed dogmas and reinforced hierarchies, and toward a richer understanding of the teaching and research landscape across various subfields and geographic regions (Bulhan, 2015; Devezer et al., 2019; Steltenpohl et al., 2021; Syed & Kathawalla, 2020). If the open science/scholarship movement is to succeed, reformers must keep inclusion, diversity, equity, and access as central components of their practices.
This presentation will review discussions around diversity and inclusion within the open science/scholarship movement, highlight lessons learned, and explore how education researchers and practitioners can help lead the way to more equitable practices within open science. Participants are encouraged to consider ways in which they may explicitly consider inclusion, diversity, equity, and access in their own work.

Author

• Crystal N. Steltenpohl, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice