Ethical Challenges and Opportunities at the Intersection of One Health and Open Science in India: A Scoping Review

Open Science (OS) aims at accelerating responsible scientific research, promoting transparency in data sharing, and ensuring that data is accessible to all citizens. On the other hand, One Health (OH), an interdisciplinary field addressing outbreaks of zoonotic infectious diseases, relies heavily on data sharing. Considering the current emphasis on OS practices, it is crucial to identify the challenges associated with practicing OS within the multi-sectoral framework of OH. This scoping review explores how OS principles intersect with issues of data ownership, privacy, and participation within India's multi-sectoral OH research ecosystem.

This study aims to identify the potential challenges and opportunities at the interfaces of OH, OS, society, and policy.

We conducted a scoping review, adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase (OVID), MEDLINE (OVID), and Global Health to identify the articles. We included original articles and policy briefs on OS, Citizen Science, and OH published between 2013 and 2023. The protocol was preregistered in the Open Science Framework (OSF).

A total of 46 studies met the inclusion criteria. We reviewed 33 original articles, 4 perspectives, 2 commentaries, 2 case studies, 2 policy briefs, 2 protocols, and 1 case report. Key challenges include barriers to cross-sector collaboration, data sharing, weak inter-ministerial collaboration, and challenges in Citizen Science. The study also highlights significant opportunities for advancing OH through improved data sharing techniques, and enhanced collaborative efforts.

Addressing these challenges and opportunities may foster effective collaboration, ethical data sharing in OH. These strategies are crucial for advancing OH framework and improving health at the human-animal-environment interface in India and other low-and middle-income countries. This review underscores the importance of integrating OS for the sustainable development of OH initiatives in these settings.