Open Science/Week 4: UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science

Learning Outcomes

• Describe key elements of the policy process, including stakeholder engagement, relevant to the creation and implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science.
• Identify the frameworks presented in the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science.

Readings

UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), November 23, 2021,  CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO. 34 pages.

Consolidated Roadmap for a Possible UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, UNESCO Executive Board, August 7, 2019, Copyright © United Nations. 5 pages.

One or more inputs to the recommendation or comments on the draft:

“Comments on the First Draft of the Recommendation on Open Science,” Open Science, UNESCO. Copyright © United Nations.

For example, you might read comments from a member state, such as Norway, or from an organization, such as cOAlition S.

The United States Withdraws from UNESCO, Heather Nauert, State Department Spokesperson, October 12, 2017, Public Domain.

Discussion Question

Read the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science and (at least) one of the responses provided to the Draft Recommendation. Do some research to understand the organization that provided the feedback you read. For example, read the About section on its website and/ or its Wikipedia page, if it has one. Include the following elements in your discussion post:

• A description of the organization that provided the feedback you read.
• A summary of the main elements of the feedback provided.
• Your assessment of whether or not the feedback is reflected in the Recommendation.

Conclude your post with a question for others in the class.

Self-check Questions

1 The Preamble to the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science says that it is mindful of two of UNESCO’s global priorities. Which two priorities does it mention?

	gender and Africa
	science and technology
	peacekeeping and migration
	human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals

2 How does the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science function as a policy document?

	It recommends actions that Member States should take.
	It sets budgets and targets for Member States.
	It creates legal obligations that all nations must fulfill.
	It directly regulates for-profit and non-profit scholarly publishers.

3 Which framework from the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science includes the following elements: “open scientific knowledge, open science infrastructures, science communication, open engagement of societal actors and open dialogue with other knowledge systems”?

	open science pillars
	open science values
	open science principles
	key objectives and areas of action

4 Choose the option that lists the Recommendation’s four open science values.

	quality and integrity, collective benefit, equity and fairness, diversity and inclusiveness
	quality, integrity, equity, fairness
	quality and integrity, collective benefit, equity and fairness, open access
	quality and integrity, collective benefit, open access, diversity and inclusiveness

5 The Recommendation’s six principles of open science include which of the following items? Mark all that apply.

	transparency, scrutiny, critique and reproducibility.
	flexibility
	sustainability.
	innovation throughout the scientific process

Alternate/ Bonus Question

6 The syllabus of this course is most closely aligned with which framework?

	open science pillars
	open science values
	open science principles
	key objectives and areas of action