Open Science: to make research better - a new Association to promote Open Science in Italy

On March 5-7 a three day workshop was organized by the Italian Institute of Anthropology and University of Rome La Sapienza to discuss the issues and challenges related to adoption of the Open Science paradigm. The meeting's objective was to identify the different needs and perspectives, obstacles, experiences, in order to identify concrete strategies to respond to the increasing demand for a greater presence of open science in higher education and research in Italy.

In order to reach this goal, the organizers invited almost 40 speakers from different background: researchers and scientists from various disciplines, OA experts, copyright and legal issues experts, ICT experts, librarians, university research office staff and also OpenAire to make presentations and debate with an audience of young researchers and doctoral students on data sharing and research behaviours, on OA journals and authors behaviours, on the ethical and economic implications of Open Science, on the e-infrastructure challenges for a open, reusabale and assessable science, on interoperability and international cooperation etc.

Paolo Manghi and Paola Gargiulo from OpenAire partecipated in two different sessions of the workshop, Paolo Manghi reflecting on the idea of Science 2.0 Repositories (SciRepos) to meet publishing requirements arising in Science 2.0 by blurring the distinction between research life-cycle and research publishing. Paola Gargiulo on the importance of international networking and cooperation for a successful Open science agenda.

For more info please visit the conference website. In the coming weeks the video and the slides will be also available - https://sites.google.com/site/opensciencebetterresearch/home.

At the end of the meeting it was announced and happily greeted the foundation of a not for profit Association for the Promotion of Open Science (AISA- Associazione Italiana per la promozion della Scienza Aperta). The newly born organization founded by Italian e professors, researchers and OA supporters is open to the membership of all Italian universities, research centres to public or private scientific organizations as well to single individuals (researchers, scientists, students,information experts, scientific journalists, citizens). Its mission is to actively engage in promoting Open Science in Italy and link to other similar bodies abroad by organizing various activities from education and training of young scientists and doctoral students, carrying out empirical studies, analysis, surveys on various aspects related to Open Science as well as through workshops and a annual conference.