Open Science literacy in EAP

This accessible online course introduces, proposes, and exemplifies the need for Open Science literacy in Higher Education. In this course, Open Science literacy is defined as the understanding, navigation, and use of the digitalized academic landscape. As most research and knowledge is still hidden behind the paywall or otherwise made inaccessible to broader audiences, the movement of Open Science seeks to promote and facilitate the sharing of knowledge through open and accessible tools and channels.

What is Open Science?

Open Science can be defined as the movement toward making knowledge more accessible and transparent. Aspects of Open Science thus also include citizen science or re-usable knowledge. Aligning with the idea of Open Science, GoFair has come up with the four F.A.I.R principles of using data. Data of any kind should be:

Findable

Accessible

Interoperable

Reusable

Although the four principles of F.A.I.R. are often discussed in the context of making quantitative data more open, they are certainly relevant to qualitative research as well. For instance, to ensure that a research article (of any kind) is findable, it should come with a unique identifier, such as a DOI (digital object identifier). The uploaded article should moreover be described using relevant metadata, such as keywords, so that it can more easily be found by users searching for related topics. To be made more accessible, the research article should then also either be open and free or clear in its description of licensing and conditions of use.

The role of Open Science in EAP

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) generally describes the study of academic practice and literacies within anglophone contexts. Particularly in the United Kingdom, universities and Higher Education institutions have identified a significant need for international students to receive additional support in EAP. EAP therefore not only encompasses support in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in/ for academic contexts, but it most importantly also decodes conventions, standards, and practices of academia, which are oftentimes highly abstract and rarely self-explanatory.

Presently, EAP is taught at many universities across the globe, whereby most universities will have developed their own approach to teaching and learning EAP. The role of Open Science, however, is seldom (if ever) discussed in the EAP classroom. Especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, where dozens of EAP courses were temporarily moved online, the need for Open Science tools in the EAP classroom is clearer than ever before. Accessible online tools for the sharing and consuming of knowledge not only boots students' autonomy, but it also helps them make sense of academia as a whole.

Student autonomy and identity

By being aware of accessible online tools and resources, such as the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), OpenKnowledgeMaps (OKM) or Zenodo, students are no longer limited to their respective universities' offers of online or physical libraries. Showing students that they will be able to access academic research and knowledge beyond their studies not only provides them with a sense of agency and autonomy, it also solidifies their sense of identity as early-stage researchers. Accessing research on OKM or DOAJ, for instance, lets students look up accessible research without needing to be affiliated with a university. Zenodo moreover lets students self-archive research or other projects which may not be suitable or intended for peer-reviewed publication. Still, self-archived work on Zenodo generally receives its own DOI and therefore represents a more easily findable and accessible contribution to the researcher community.

The academic landscape

Students who become familiar with the cause, tools, and resources of Open Science are likely also better able to comprehend the bigger picture of academia. Academia is oftentimes misunderstood to mean an abstract and mystified entity. Academic research is commonly referred to as being locked away in the ivory tower, behind a paywall and highly inaccessible language. Open Science tools like DOAJ, OKM, or Zenodo demonstrate that knowledge is not necessarily reserved for academic in-groups. On the contrary, openly accessible resources help students grasp the concept of academia in a more tangible way.

Examples

Academic writing

Students are commonly asked to produce academic texts of various kinds, such as abstracts, theses, or seminar papers. A common confusion, particularly amongst undergraduate students, is the difference between academic abstracts and introductions to essays or theses. Here, the concept of Open Science can be used to help students discern between abstracts and introductions in terms of their main functions. Whilst introductions are part of the full text, abstracts are in the unique position of representing the full text. For full texts which are hidden behind the paywall, this means that their introductions will not be accessible to those who cannot pass beyond the paywall. Abstracts, however, are generally always accessible as a kind of sampler text for the broad masses.

Introduction: elaborate context, background information, part of full text (not always accessible)

Abstract: summary of entire full text, concise, independent of full text (generally always accessible)

Discussion Questions

• In what way have you benefitted from Open Science or accessible knowledge?
• What role have traditional libraries played in the overall development of Open Science?
• What might be the limitations or problematics surrounding the open sharing of research?
• What type of data or research might you want to self-archive rather than publish through peer-review?