OApoly – das Spiel rund um offene Wissenschaft

Abstract:  Open Access and Open Science are terms that are well-established in the world of academic publishing. To outsiders, however, these terms are abstract and make the already complex dynamics of academic publishing seem even more opaque. With the game OApoly, we aim to develop an interactive, playful approach for an audience that is not (yet) familiar with academic publishing and to make the current, diverse publishing pathways accessible and easy to understand. Originally, OApoly and the game boards were developed with specific references to the respective services offered by the KIT Library. To increase its reusability, however, the version published here contains game boards with general terms, such as university press, publication fund, and repository.

The goal of the game is to allow players to step into the role of researchers navigating the world of Open Access publishing while learning about the various services offered by academic libraries. Players move across the board by rolling a die. At the start, each person begins with a starting capital in the form of coins – but with no reputation yet. The game is based on moving from field to field and using the coins to collect reputation points as quickly as possible. In this way, not only are the principles of Open Access and publishing explained, but players also learn about the corresponding services and tasks of academic libraries on the individual spaces.

The game is designed as a participatory activity for public events and was created primarily for non-academic visitors, but it can also offer new insights to researchers and library staff who have no prior exposure to Open Access. As part of an introductory event for students, it can introduce aspiring researchers to the topics of Open Access/Open Science and the library’s publication services.