A survey of open science attitudes and behaviors among US pharmacy faculty

To describe the attitudes, behaviors, and perceived disciplinary norms for open science practices among US pharmacy faculty and examine differences across pharmacy disciplines.

This cross-sectional study used the Center for Open Science's Open Scholarship Survey modules on data sharing, code sharing, materials sharing, preregistration, preprints, and open access publishing. Attitudes were measured using a scale from 1 (Very much against) to 5 (Very much in favor). The study questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 3200 faculty from the AACP Roster of Pharmacy Faculty as of February 2022. Individuals with ≥0.8 full-time equivalent faculty appointment in pharmacy practice or one of the pharmaceutical sciences were eligible to participate.

Responses were obtained from 663 faculty (389 complete; 274 partial). Open access publishing (mean [SD]: 4.1 [0.9]) showed the most positive attitudes. Study preregistration (3.2 [0.9]) and posting preprints (3.1 [1.1]) were the least positive. Attitudes for data sharing, code sharing, and study preregistration were statistically significant across disciplines. The most commonly reported open science practice was open access publishing (mean [SD], 27.7 % [29.1 %]). Study preregistration was the least common (mean [SD], 1.7 % [7.0 %]). After accounting for respondent and institutional characteristics, disciplinary differences in data sharing, study preregistration, and posting preprints were noted.

This study provides a baseline assessment of attitudes towards and engagement in open science practices among US pharmacy faculty. Given the relatively low frequency with which open science practices were reported, there is considerable room for improvement in the uptake of open science practices.