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Lorena Palameta
Ruđer Bošković Institute, Centre for Scientific Information, Zagreb, Croatia
International Open Access Week was held from October 21st through 27th, 2024. Titled the same as last year, “Community over commercialization”, it emphasizes the need for continued discourse regarding open science practices important for the public and the academic community.
The Centre for Scientific Information of the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Croatia, organised various activities to mark this occasion, the first of which was the 156th library colloquium titled “Registration Practices and Improvement of the Quality of Scientific Research.” The colloquium, held live and over Zoom, presented and described research registration or even pre-registration process. A pre-registration is the practice of announcing the research plan, giving its detailed description, methods of data collection and an analysis plan prior to the beginning of the study. Advantages of pre-registration are: reduced duplication of research, greater possibilities of collaboration, increased transparency. Potential issues that could arise during the registration process: it can be time-consuming and require advance research planning. Following the colloquium, the Center offered a workshop for researchers at the Institute on how to write their research Data Management Plans (DMP).
The week concluded with the 157th library colloquium “Open Science in Practice: Requirements of the Croatian Science Foundation and Horizon Europe Projects.” Lecturers discussed the importance of open science and its application in daily research activities. The main focus was on researchers' obligations toward their funders, the Croatian Science Foundation and the European Commission through the Horizon Europe program.
Alongside the colloquiums and the workshop, the Center organized its first Open Access Escape Room. This project was developed and made available by Katrine Sundsbø on Figshare through Creative Commons Attribution Licence. It was adapted based on the resources available at the Institute, with many of the props being homemade. The Escape Room at the Institute gathered 47 participants in 13 teams. Each team had an hour and an unlimited number of hints, though the highest number of hints needed to complete the room was 3. The main goal of the Escape Room was to stop the Villain from stealing all the knowledge in the world and to save and unlock the knowledge he’s stolen at the Institute. To defeat the Villain, the participants had to choose between two routes, Green or Gold Open Access, presented to them in green and gold envelopes. Out of 13 teams, 10 of them picked the green route, Green Open Access, meaning they were met with the limitations of an embargo. The embargo was implemented through a fortune teller where the participants could be docked 4, 5, 6 or 12 minutes based on their choices, meaning they had less time to complete the Room. While progressing through the Room, using UV light, keys, different types of locks, puzzles and riddles they unlocked the data, books, conference proceedings and scientific articles, i.e. knowledge. In doing so, the Villain was defeated, the world saved and all knowledge made available and Open Access. All 13 teams managed to complete the Room, making it a huge success. Each team, based on their profession, had a different approach to solving the Room. For example, librarians focused on call numbers of books while physicists were trying to solve random equations placed in the room as decor. Held just in time before Halloween, the Center provided Halloween candy and music making it all the more entertaining. As a reward, all participants received a certificate, congratulating them on their victory. Through this fun and engaging activity, employees at the Institute were able to learn about Open Access and the differences between Green and Gold Open Access.
All activities were well-attended, the most attended being the new one, the Escape Room, which suggests that interest in Open Access topics remains high especially when presented in various and engaging ways.
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