What are the Usage Dimensions of Open?

Authors

  • Eric Archambault President and CEO, Science-Metrix & 1science
  • Lorcan Dempsey VP, Research, The Online Computer Library Center (OCLC)
  • Christopher Erdmann Head Librarian, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, John G. Wolbach Library
  • Stephanie Fulton Executive Director, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
  • Dee Magnoni Research Library Director, Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Emily McElroy Director, McGoogan Library of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center
  • Amy Nurnberger Research Data Manager, Columbia University
  • Ginger Strader Director, Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press
  • Michael Van Woert Executive Officer and Director, National Science Board Office, National Science Foundation (NSF)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13021/G8D884

Abstract

What are the usage-related challenges currently faced by open efforts? For instance, open data is intriguing in principle, but in reality, making underlying data open can be problematic, conflicting with the need for research secrecy (whether driven by the desire to be first to publish, or the desire of funders to hold onto data to protect future discovery potential), the potential for misinterpretation by other researchers, and so on. Publishing clinical trial data in open formats is also intriguing but would run afoul of many current consent agreements, particularly older consents. Open access is similarly challenged in some instances by a conflict between which version of papers is allowed appear in open repositories. What is the value of archiving non-final versions? What are the range of issues here, what are the perspectives, and what might be some possible solutions?

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Published

2016-04-22

Issue

2016

Section

Questions