Interdisciplinary Workshop: “Open Science: An Ideal under Scrutiny”
© Abbildung/Image: UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, CC BY-SA 3.0

From 26 to 27 November 2026, the interdisciplinary workshop “Open Science: An Ideal under Scrutiny” will be held by the Centre for Advanced Study “Access to Cultural Goods in Digital Change” and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Philosophie (DGPhil) e. V. (Venue: University of Münster)

Scientific Organisation: PD Dr. Nicola Mößner (Leibniz University Hannover | Senior Fellow of the Centre for Advanced Study)

Registration at  kfg.zugang@uni-muenster.de.

Speakers

  • Dr. Sophia Crüwell (University Library of Frankfurt)
  • Prof. Dr. Petra Gehring (Technical University of Darmstadt, Head of the Center for Responsible Digitalization (ZEVEDI))
  • Prof. Dr. Axel Gelfert (Technical University of Berlin)
  • Jun.Prof. Dr. Chiara Lisciandra (University of Düsseldorf)
  • PD Dr. Nicola Mößner (Leibniz University Hannover)
  • Dr. Lukas Röseler (University of Münster, Managing Director of the Münster Center for Open Science)
  • Prof. Dr. Reinold Schmücker (University of Münster, Director of the Centre for Advanced Study “Access to Cultural Goods in Digital Change”)
  • Dr. Gottfried Schweiger (University of Salzburg, DGPhil-AG Philosophical Journals)
  • Dr. Nathanael Sheehan (Technical University of Munich)
  • Lisa Stein, M.A. (DESY, DFG project openCost)
  • Prof. Dr. Ulrike Wuttke (Potsdam University of Applied Sciences, Service Center for Diamond Open Access)

Topic and State of the Art

Exactly five years ago, in November 2021, the UNESCO Declaration on Open Science (OS) was adopted and accepted by 194 nations (see “UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science”, https://doi.org/10.54677/MNMH8546). The recommendations made therein were set against the backdrop of global crises, such as climate change, a widening gap between the rich and the poor, societal polarization, the pandemic and its consequences. The declaration was associated with the hope of advancing knowledge and technology, promoting sustainability, and fostering inclusivity among different population groups and global communities, in order to better address the challenges of our time. In this context, UNESCO views the initiative as an ongoing project that relies on the continuous engagement of the participants. It is based on four pillars: (1) open scientific knowledge, (2) open scientific infrastructures, (3) open engagement of societal actors (openness beyond the scientific community), (4) open dialogue with other knowledge systems (increasing diversity in scientific practice). From a global perspective, the scientific landscape, its infrastructural integration, and its societal status have dynamically evolved since the adoption of the declaration. On the one hand, market players, such as academic publishers, have discovered the economic potential of certain Open Science initiatives (see, for example, https://www.openlibhums.org/news/931). Parts of the Open Access movement have been ‘hijacked’ by entrepreneurial concepts. On the other hand, with the emergence of highly powerful AI technologies such as Large Language Models (LLMs), a number of new challenges have arisen, such as the use of Open Access publications as training data for AI tools. Subsequently, scientists and others must purchase licenses to utilize these tools. While economic actors have appropriated the objectives of Open Science in unintended ways, a number of new challenges have also emerged at political and societal levels, which are diametrically opposed to the inclusive and open character of Open Science. Therefore, it is high time to critically engage with the ideal of Open Science. This endeavor is the focus of the workshop.

Questions

The aim of the workshop is, firstly, to critically reflect on the developments in Open Science (OS) over the past few years. Which approaches have been successful, and which ones have failed? What reasons can be identified for these successes or failures? Do the objectives of OS still meet the current demands of our scientific landscape and a world facing various global crises? What might be an alternative to OS? Is ‘security by obscurity’ a viable option in this context, meaning the hiding or locking away of knowledge and technological resources behind paywalls? What suggestions for reformulating the various OS initiatives could be offered in light of current political and societal developments? On the other hand, the discussion within the workshop should focus on the extent to which philosophy, as an academic discipline, can and/or should implement initiatives in the realm of Open Science (OS). For instance, how important is Open Access for philosophical publications and their distribution? To what extent should the demand for openness, inclusivity, and diversity also be advocated from the perspective of the philosophy of science? Would it be beneficial or helpful to open academic philosophy to other societal actors? To what extent do philosophers also possess research data that should be managed according to the principles of FAIR Data? To put it bluntly: The OS movement exemplifies the idea of openness, integration, and diversity to address global crises — is this ideal still a guiding principle in today’s world, or do the goals need to be adjusted?