Background
As part of the project module Open Science as a Field of Action for Scientific Institutions, students from the Institute for Library and Information Science at Humboldt University zu Berlin (HU), under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Heinz Pampel, organized an event. During the winter semester of 2024/25, the students examined strategies on how scientific institutions shape and promote the topic of Open Science.
To conclude their work, the project course hosted the event “Is the German Scientific Landscape a Strong Driver for Open Science? – Open Science as a Field of Action for Scientific Institutions” on February 4, 2025, at the Einstein Center Digital Future (ECDF) in Berlin.
Presentations
Open Science refers to efforts to implement various approaches to an open scientific practice (UNESCO 2021), aiming to promote transparent and inclusive science.
At the beginning of the event, three invited speakers – Dr. Lisa Kressin from the Leibniz Association, Dr. Stefan Skupien from the Berlin University Alliance (BUA), and Marcel Meistring from the Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) – presented different approaches taken by libraries and research institutions regarding Open Science.
Dr. Lisa Kressin (Leibniz Association) began her presentation by discussing the crucial role of infrastructures in promoting Open Science. She also emphasized the significance of self-governance in science for the development of Open Science. According to Kressin, Open Science must be developed in close collaboration with the scientific community rather than being purely politically motivated. However, she acknowledged that political engagement remains essential to advancing Open Science. She highlighted the potential of Open Science in strengthening research quality and reinforcing scientific transparency.
Furthermore, she addressed the challenges of Open Science in practice. Due to varying knowledge cultures, it is impossible to impose uniform expectations on all stakeholders. She advocated for a practical approach to Open Science and stressed that funding remains a pressing issue. Kressin saw great potential in networking among scientific organizations to advance Open Science.
Dr. Stefan Skupien (BUA) also highlighted the importance of Open Science networks and collaboration, as many Open Science challenges require cooperative solutions. He underscored the potential of Open Science for research and introduced measures implemented by the BUA to promote it. Besides infrastructure development, Skupien focused on Open Science education and monitoring Open Science practices. These topics are also supported by the BUA through Open Science Fellowships.
Another initiative he mentioned was the establishment of Open Science Ambassadors, who serve as multipliers, spreading Open Science practices within the scientific community. He pointed out that the importance of Open Science varies across faculties within the BUA institutions. Therefore, the BUA aims to establish a reflective and discipline-specific approach to Open Science practices.
In the final presentation, Marcel Meistring from the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences emphasized the importance of extensive consulting, research-support services, and support offerings in the field of publishing research results and research data management. He provided insights into the Open Science policy of the Helmholtz Association and the Open Science-related guidelines of the GFZ. He stressed that such policies serve as crucial guidelines in establishing an Open Science culture within scientific institutions.
Additionally, he explained the relevance of adhering to standards and utilizing persistent identifiers (PIDs) for providing, archiving, storing, publishing, and linking texts, research data, and research software. The use of standards and PIDs is crucial for the efficient implementation of Open Science. Meistring also presented current efforts by the Helmholtz Association to develop new quality indicators for research data and software publications. The goal is to adopt a broader perspective on research performance, recognizing published research data and software as valuable research outputs based on specific quality criteria.
Discussion
Following the presentations, the speakers engaged in a panel discussion, addressing questions regarding the further development of Open Science and potential fields of action, with additional contributions and questions from the audience. The discussion highlighted the necessity of further advancing Open Science in Germany. The panelists supported additional cross-organizational projects similar to the DEAL initiative.
As repeatedly emphasized in the presentations, intensified collaboration among various Open Science stakeholders is essential to effectively address challenges. However, difficulties arise due to funding constraints and a lack of institutional initiative. The monitoring of Open Science practices was identified as a crucial field of action for advancing Open Science. Additionally, promoting information literacy was deemed essential for the positive development of Open Science.
The discussion also touched upon the integration of Open Science principles into university curricula across all disciplines so that future researchers develop awareness of Open Science’s opportunities and challenges. In this context, the BUA Ambassadors initiative was praised for facilitating communication and exchange across different scientific domains, from which other institutions could also benefit.
Conclusion
In summary, although Open Science has been a relevant topic in Germany for several years, the scientific community still does not allocate it sufficient attention and significance. Enhanced training in the form of workshops and advisory services on Open Science, as well as adequate resources, are crucial for further advancing Open Science in Germany. In this regard, sustainable funding, stronger collaboration among stakeholders, increased resource allocation in infrastructures, and greater public involvement are needed.
Given the budgetary and geopolitical challenges for open and networked science, the speakers expressed some concerns about future developments. Nevertheless, they emphasized the importance of embedding and promoting Open Science in a cooperative and international context to align its progress with UNESCO recommendations.
References
Citation
@online{catalina bohórquez díaz2025,
author = {Catalina Bohórquez Díaz, Laura and Frankenstein, Sharleen
and Humprecht, Henriette and Onzie Khamis, Christopher and Nur
Kocabiyik, Zuhal and Kuhs-Ohmann, Jannik and Liebel, Max and
Prinada, Sofie-Lilly and Rocha Dias, Patricia and Zimnol, Hendrik},
title = {Is the {German} {Scientific} {Landscape} a {Strong} {Driver}
for {Open} {Science?}},
date = {2025-04-17},
url = {https://doi.org/10.59350/vc1ht-2mz23},
langid = {en}
}