Content from Why Communities of Practice for Open Science?

Last updated on 2025-04-23 | Edit this page

Overview

Questions

  • What is a community of practice (CoP)?
  • Why do open science initiatives benefit from community building?
  • How can a CoP support my institution’s open science goals?

Objectives

  • Define a community of practice and its core elements.
  • Describe how CoPs can address barriers to open science.
  • Identify two potential benefits of starting or joining a CoP.

What is a Community of Practice?

A community of practice (CoP) is a group of individuals who share a concern, set of problems, or interest in a topic and deepen their knowledge and expertise through regular interaction. In the context of open science, CoPs provide informal, inclusive spaces where researchers and support staff can learn together, build trust, and drive cultural change.

CoPs aren’t just training programs—they are sustained, peer-driven networks that support ongoing reflection, experimentation, and problem-solving.

Examples of CoPs in Open Science

  • Regular discussion groups hosted by the library or research office
  • Online forums or channels organized around reproducibility or FAIR data
  • Interdisciplinary working groups that build open workflows together

Callout

💬 Think–Pair–Share: Have you been part of a group like this before?

  • What made it successful or challenging?
  • What kept people coming back?

Why CoPs Matter for Open Science

Open science often fails to take root when approached as a one-time workshop or a compliance checkbox. Researchers face:

  • Tool overload
  • Unclear expectations
  • Limited support from peers or mentors

CoPs address this by offering:

  • Ongoing, nonjudgmental learning
  • Opportunities for co-creation (not just top-down instruction)
  • Community norms that make open practices feel natural

Callout

✅ Checkpoint: What institutional challenges or goals related to open science exist at your institution? - Write down one. - Would a CoP help address it? Why or why not?

Activity: Mapping Benefits of a CoP

Divide learners into small groups (or breakout rooms). Each group discusses:

  1. What problem or friction point does open science face on your campus?
  2. How might a CoP help address it?
  3. What would success look like in a year?

Each group shares one idea back to the full group.

Testimonial

“Being part of a regular open science meetup helped me stop feeling like I had to figure it all out alone.” — Library Faculty Member

Key Points

  • CoPs provide a structure for shared learning and trust-building.
  • Open science benefits from relationship-based change, not just mandates.
  • Even small gatherings can become the start of a transformative community.

Content from Identifying Needs and Stakeholders

Last updated on 2025-04-23 | Edit this page

Overview

Questions

  • What are the open science needs at your institution?
  • Who should be involved in starting a community of practice?
  • How can you identify allies and supporters for your initiative?

Objectives

  • Gather 3–5 open science needs or opportunities at your institution.
  • Identify key researcher and support audiences to engage.
  • Select 2–3 potential partners or allies for launching a CoP.

Why Start Here?

Launching a successful CoP begins with understanding your local context—what’s missing, what’s already working, and who’s already doing the work. This episode helps you identify pain points and map out people and groups who can help you move forward.

Starting with known needs and existing relationships builds momentum and trust.

Mapping Institutional Needs

Callout

📋 Exercise: Institutional Scan Individually or in small groups, write down: - Three current challenges researchers face with open science at your institution - Two existing programs or resources that support openness - One area where your institution could grow or improve

Then share out with the group or on a shared board.

Sample Categories of Need

  • Lack of training in reproducible workflows
  • Unclear data sharing expectations
  • Few opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration
  • Limited awareness of platforms (e.g., OSF, Dryad, Zenodo)

Identifying Stakeholders

Think about who should be part of or connected to your community: - Faculty researchers - Graduate students or postdocs - Librarians and data support staff - IT staff or digital infrastructure teams - Campus centers (e.g., research office, ethics board, grants office)

Callout

💬 Think–Pair–Share - Who are your likely allies? - Who might benefit but hasn’t been invited before? - Who could help advocate for your group?

Activity: Stakeholder Mapping

Use a 2x2 matrix to sort stakeholders by: - Level of interest in open science (low to high) - Level of influence on campus (low to high)

Draw this out or use a sticky note tool. Discuss: - Who falls in the “high influence / high interest” quadrant? - Who is underrepresented but valuable to include?

Planning Your Core Team

Try to identify 3–4 people you could invite to help start or co-lead the CoP. Look for: - A mix of roles (e.g., researcher, librarian, admin) - People who have time or are looking for new opportunities - Early adopters who could bring others in

Key Points

  • Identifying needs helps tailor your community to local goals.
  • Stakeholder diversity improves sustainability and reach.
  • Starting with a small, committed team can build momentum.