Workshop Highlighting Open Science contributions through narratives for Evaluation
Reyes Elizondo, Andrea; Varga, Judit; van der Weijden, Inge; Kaltenbrunner, Wolfgang
- Publisher
- Zenodo
- Language
- en
Abstract
Researchers, scholars, and professional research support staff are increasingly committed to open science but are not yet consistently rewarded for their contributions. There is broad consensus that the transition to open science should not rely solely on the motivation of individual researchers; it must become an integral part of institutional policy, including evaluation, recruitment, and promotion policies. Valuing open science practices is also a priority for the national recognition and reward programme. However, an important question is how to showcase diverse contributions to Open Science that go beyond listing open access output. In this workshop we will discuss how to highlight diverse contributions to open science using narrative tools and strategies. This entails two moves. First, we facilitate a discussion about how participants understand open science. In particular, building on Leonelli’s (2023) philosophy of open science and the UNESCO Recommendation on open science, we aim to broaden and diversify understandings to go beyond open access output, which is an important, but small sliver of open science. We will do so by collectively reflecting on the diverse practices that comprise open science. In contrast with defining open science in terms of outputs, this approach helps collectively articulate diverse achievements and contributions to open science—including more and less tangible and successful ones—that show not only output but also commitment, effort and development, in the context of one’s role, career phase, and opportunities. These may include (but are not limited to) contributions to community engagement, co-creation activities, opening education, and collaborations around data. Second, using vignettes, we facilitate a collective reflection on how such contributions can be highlighted through narratives that are increasingly used for research assessment, for example, as part of narrative CVs or yearly evaluation reports.
Full text
Highlighting Open Science Contributions through Narratives for Evaluation OSF, Groningen, 24 October 2025 Andrea Reyes Elizondo Judit Varga Inge van der Weijden Wolfgang Kaltenbrunner
Outline •Introduction –20 min oIntroduction participants ▪Name, organisation, one word that describes your association with narratives for evaluation oRecognising and Rewarding Open Science oNarratives Impact Science Evaluation •Exercise Open Science in Narratives for Evaluation –20 min •Reporting back & Discussion –20 min 2
Recognising and Rewarding Open Science •OSNL CfP 2024, budget: €1,200,000 •Financial incentive: €50,000, 1-year project, 23 proposals awarded •Embed criteria for recognising and rewarding Open Science in recruitment and promotion policies: •Facilitate connections between experts (HR advisors, open science experts, policy officers, researchers) in own institution 3
Recognising and Rewarding Open Science •National coordination, 2-year project •Exchange of good practices between individual institutions •Help building alignment between individual institutions in the development and implementation of policy plans to recognise and reward Open Science Practices •National meetings, inspirational workshops, working visits, align with international developments, online communication platform, collective Zotero library, e-magazine 4 Project page - https://universiteitleiden.nl/openscienceRR Rrview - https://rrview.nl OSNL - https://www.openscience.nl
Narratives Impact Science Evaluation •Increasing use of narratives in science evaluation: e.g. GROW reports and narrative / evidence-based CVs for grants and career promotion decisions •Our study: evaluative use of narrative CVs in 3 funders (NWO, SNSF, Volkswagen Foundation) •Narrative CVs help diversify what evaluators see as valuable skills and contributions, although impact of evaluation outcomes is contextdependent and unfolds over longer time-frames 5
Examples: How Narratives Impact Science Evaluation •Hesitation about assessment of excellence •Surprise about applicant's collaborative approach •Valuing non-academic experiences •Valuing contributions to academic culture •Valuing leadership and management approach •Valuing self-reflection •Valuing the combination of vulnerability and resilience in narratives 6
Exercise: OS in narratives for evaluation*? - 20 min Form small groups (3-4 people) and try to do two things: Part 1 – develop three OS-related narratives (10 min): •Try to come up with three OS-related items that you could put in a narrative •Do not just list OS output but think about what narrative you could tell •Be realistic! Make choices that you would make in a real-world setting Part 2 – reflect on your narratives in light of the evaluative setting (10 min) •What ideas of openness do these three items convey? (e.g., accessibility, open process, engagement, contributing to sustainable business models etc.) •Imagine how reviewers would respond – how does this affect your narratives? *e.g., a narrative CV or yearly evaluation report 7
Discussion – 20 min •Reporting back groups 1, 2, 3, 4 •Address the two questions: oWhich OS-related narratives did you come up with? oWhat forms of openness did you touch on, and how are your narratives shaped by the anticipated response of the reviewers? 8
Thank you!
