Open Science Is Good Science | ArcNews | Fall 2020

"Modern GIS is an important part of open science—that international movement toward making scientific research as open and accessible as possible so it can foster scientific growth and innovation and also be of practical use to society. But what does open science really mean?

The term, first coined by Canadian engineer and inventor Steve Mann in 1998, strongly implies open data, open source, open workflows, more open and transparent peer reviews (of research, data, and software), open educational resources, and—perhaps most importantly—open access.

Open access to what, though? Certainly to scientific publications, research data, lab and field samples, source code, and a treasure trove of apps for mobile devices or web browsers. And open access for whom? For other scientists in a given field, researchers in all disciplines, governments, industry sectors, schools, nonprofit organizations, and anyone else who is interested.

In short, open science is seen by many as a way to reassert science as a global public good...."