The ORION Open Science Podcast

Plan S: Solution or Short-sightedness?

Episode Summary:

In this episode we are discussing Plan S. Plan S is a new approach to Open Science publishing; an initiative which would require researchers receiving funding from state and EU funding to publish fully open access. Our interview guest will be Professor Sabina Leonelli who is closely involved with researching and advising on Open Science issues, and who has co-authored a statement on Plan S from the Global Young Academy. We will cover what Plan S is, the potential positives and negatives of Plan S, and the difficulties in making changes to research structures.

Resources and Links:

• Factsheets
• Sabina Leonelli Profile Page
  • Twitter Page
• Global Young Academy Statement on Plan S
• Coalition S Information on Plan S
• Plan S: key points
• EU Life Response to Plan S

Episode Quotes:

“Plan S is a rather radical way that funders are trying to push the publishing landscape”

Scaling the Paywall: How Unpaywall Improved Open Access

Episode Summary:

In this episode we are discussing Unpaywall. Unpaywall is a database and browser extension that legally searches for Open Access versions of research papers. Our interview guest will be Heather Piwowar who co-developed and manages Unpaywall. We will cover how and why Unpaywall was developed, and the issues with current Open Science tools.

Resources and Links:

• Factsheets
• http://unpaywall.org/
• Heather Piwowar Twitter
• Impact Story
• Nature article: How Unpaywall is transforming open science

Episode Quotes:

“It is cool to see the green unlock icon, which if you click it takes you immediately to a free article, right beside a big box on a publisher’s page that says ‘$39 to view’. It feels like we are really unlocking the power of Open Access”.

Good scientists share data?

Episode Summary:

In this episode we are discussing data sharing and who owns research data. Our interview guest will be Dr Daniel Barron from Yale University, who wrote an article on these issues in Scientific American. We will cover the issue of what the priorities for research data are, the Jack Gallant controversy, and should Open Science principles be enforced.

Resources and Links:

• Factsheets
• Daniel Barron
  • Daniel Barron Articles
  • Daniel Barron Twitter
• Barron’s Scientific American article
• Nature article: Data sharing and the future of science

Episode Quotes:

“Who owns research data?”

Open Science and Career Pathways

Episode Summary:

In this episode we are discussing researcher career options and how open science can have career benefits. Our interview guest will be Dr Janet Metcalfe who is the Head of Vitae, an organisation supporting researcher professional development. We will cover the challenges researchers face in modern academia, the surprising truth about changing career paths, and how Open Science can benefit research career progression. 

Resources and Links:

• Factsheets
• Vitae
• Cost of Getting a PhD (Article)

Episode Quotes:

“People, when they are doing their PhD, they tend to measure their PhD in terms of the research results at the end of it, but actually the most important product of a PhD is the person.”