Open Science at the University of Toronto: Exploration of Researcher, Staff and Librarian Perspectives

Abstract:  Objective: The impetus for this project is to begin to understand open science practices and obstacles at the XXX. This project uses open-ended questions to understand the ways in which university-affiliated individuals learn about, think about, and interact with open science. The goal of this study is to showcase the complexity and diversity of activity and challenges in this domain to help determine how best to move open science forward.

Methods: From March to October 2022, 45 semi-structured interviews were conducted with faculty, graduate students, librarians and administrative staff. Interviews were conducted and recorded using Zoom and the audio was transcribed using otter.ai. As part of a commitment to open science practices, a data management plan was created and with participant consent, 26 transcripts were uploaded to Dataverse. Data analysis used structured coding and thematic development to investigate responses.

Results: The core finding of this study is that there is no singular status of open science at XXX. The qualitative findings reflect a diversity of opinions, practices and relationships to open science.

Conclusion: For open science practices and scholarship to have longevity, there must be systemic changes to adopt more open activities. XXX is well positioned to guide the transition and harness open principles to move into the future.