Abstract
The open science movement continues to gain momentum, attention and
discussion. However, there are a number of different interpretations,
viewpoints and perspectives as to what the term ‘open science’ means. In
this paper, we define open science as a collaborative culture enabled by
technology that empowers the open sharing of data, information and
knowledge within the scientific community and the wider public to
accelerate scientific research and understanding. Opportunities exist
for data programs to encourage and accelerate open science through
thoughtful design. This paper provides a synopsis of various open
science activities happening throughout the community and synthesizes
those activities around three broad open science focus areas. The paper
then describes how data programs are in a unique position to set
strategic directions that support and promote open science within the
three focus areas. The paper also discusses the challenges the community
faces in promoting open science. The paper closes with a call to action
for both data programs and individual researchers to support the wider
adoption of open science principles.