Why Communities of Practice for Open Science?

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

Estimated time: 35 minutes

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.