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The societal impact of Open Science: a scoping review
Nicki Lisa Cole1, Eva Kormann1, Thomas Klebel1
1Open and Reproducible Research Group, Sandgasse 36, 8010 Graz, Austria.
Royal Society Open Science
|August 5, 2024
Summary
Open Science (OS) aims to increase research impact, but evidence is scarce. This review found most societal impact from Citizen Science (CS) and Open Access (OA), highlighting education and environment, but lacking data on Open/FAIR Data (OFD).
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Information Science
- Research Policy
Background:
- Open Science (OS) policies aim to enhance research societal impact, democratize knowledge, and foster public trust.
- Measuring the societal impact of OS initiatives remains a significant challenge.
- Existing synthesized evidence on the societal impact of OS is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically scope and synthesize the existing evidence of societal impact generated by Open Science (OS).
- To examine the societal impact across various OS components, including Citizen Science (CS), Open Access (OA), Open/FAIR Data (OFD), and Open Code/Software.
- To identify key areas and limitations in the documented societal impact of OS.
Main Methods:
- Systematic scoping review utilizing the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews methodology.
- Comprehensive literature searches across major databases (Web of Science, Scopus) and grey literature.
- Inclusion of 196 studies reporting evidence of societal impact from OS initiatives.
Main Results:
- Citizen Science (CS) and Open Access (OA) were the most frequently studied aspects of OS concerning societal impact.
- Key impact areas identified include education and public awareness, climate and environmental issues, and social engagement.
- Limited evidence was found for the societal impact of Open/FAIR Data (OFD), policy influence, health outcomes, and public trust in research.
Conclusions:
- A critical need exists for more robust evidence generation on the societal impact of various Open Science practices, particularly OFD.
- Findings suggest practical and policy implications for maximizing the societal benefits of Open Science.
- Further research should focus on quantifying and qualifying the impact of OS beyond education and environmental domains.
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