STOA Academic Freedom Roundtable ‘Research Integrity in Open Science for Europe’

Research integrity is a foundation of excellent science and the cornerstone of societal trust in researchers and research institutions. Advancing research integrity across Europe is of the utmost importance to ensure the high quality of science, including reproducibility of research results, and to ensure a fruitful relationship between science and society.

Open Science (OS) is an approach to the scientific process that focuses on spreading knowledge as soon as it is available using digital and collaborative technology. Open Science is a policy priority for the European Union and the standard method of working under its research and innovation funding programmes as it improves the quality, efficiency and responsiveness of research.

The workshop intends to uncover how unchecked challenges in Open Science can jeopardize academic freedom. Open Science demands a shift in scientific mindset and robust governance structures--infrastructure, codes of conduct, regulations, and training. Deficiencies in these elements pose critical threats to researchers and institutions, impacting academic freedom, diversity, and inclusivity in science.

Experts, researchers together with policy makers discuss how Open Science in Europe intersects with policy, potentially conflicting with GDPR, intellectual property regulations, and funding restrictions. They also explore the imperative for a governance structure driving a paradigm shift in science, guided by Research Ethics and Integrity.