Weekly digest: what’s happening in open science?

Adeline Rosenberg

Featuring the upcoming EMWA Virtual Conference, Open Pharma’s new open access advocacy resource, a joint appeal for open science, reflections on equitable scholarly communications, an example of a journal switching from hybrid to full open access and ideas on how to improve discoverability.

Upcoming event: EMWA Virtual Conference via EMWA

The European Medical Writers Association (EMWA) Virtual Conference is set to take place from 4 to 19 November 2020, with an extensive programme featuring Open Pharma’s Chris Winchester and Tim Koder. Read the full programme and register for the event here

Advocating open access via Open Pharma figshare

As part of its contribution to Open Access Week 2020, Open Pharma has published an open access advocacy slide deck on figshare. This free educational resource is designed to help stakeholders advocate open access and promote the open science movement within their respective organizations.

UNESCO, WHO and OHCHR call for open science to extend beyond COVID-19 via UN News

Agency chiefs from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) have appealed to the scientific research community to practice the open science principles of transparency, inclusiveness and solidarity. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the ethical need for open access research, and the agency chiefs say that these principles need to be carried forward into the future.

Reflections of diversity, equity and inclusion in scholarly communications via The Scholarly Kitchen

Alison Mudditt, CEO of the Public Library of Science (PLOS), reflects on lessons from 2020, concepts of equity and justice in scholarly communications, anti-racism practices, and on PLOS’s pilot Community Action Publishing model to make selective publishing more equitable.

From hybrid to fully open access via Physics World

In 2019, Materials Research Express, published by IOP Publishing, switched from operating under a hybrid open access model to a fully open access model. This interview with Piera Demma Cara, associate publisher at IOP Publishing, explores the effect this transition has had on the materials science community and the benefits of making the switch.

Improving the discoverability of open access articles via Research Solutions Reprints Desk

Open access research benefits from improved discoverability in public repositories and online searches engines, but institutional libraries still struggle to expose their readership to open access content. This article proposes some ideas and possible solutions to improve the discoverability of open access research within academic institutions and libraries.

We at Open Pharma would like to continue to encourage all our readers to look after themselves and their community and to continue to follow advice from their country’s government and health organizations.

Coronavirus mental health and well-being resources:

Mind UK

Mental Health Foundation UK

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention