Registration and Networking

Welcome Notes

by Prof. Jacek Namieśnik, Rector of Gdańsk University of Technology

Opening Notes

The Role of Libraries in Advancing Open Science

Collaboration between different stakeholders is crucial to make Open Science a reality. Libraries play an important role in this. The recommendations of the Open Science Policy Platform as well as the Liber Open Science Roadmap are discussed in the presentation.

Sponsor Talk: Libraries and Research Assets – The Need for a New Approach

Many in the academia recognize the need for a better, more integrated approach for managing research assets throughout the research cycle – a systematic data management approach that would eliminate duplication of effort, reduce the burden on individual stakeholders, and – above all – would support the institutional goal of increasing the impact of research output. Academic libraries are often at the crossroads of increasing their involvement in supporting research output and improving research data management and are already providing a measure of centralized coherence in their support of academic research. In this session, we will discuss the potential role that libraries can play in driving this transition, by leveraging their expertise in data curation, resource management, and content dissemination, and the infrastructure needed for supporting these processes. We will aim to inspire a conversation around the need for a new, comprehensive approach to research data services. The session will also look at a possible solution via a new library–led initiative being launched (Ex Libris Esploro) that brings together a number of universities and Ex Libris in order to develop a new approach to increase visibility, impact and compliance of research outputs and data while serving the multiple stakeholders.

Facing the Open Science challenges from a university perspective

When we talk about Open Science we talk about new ways of performing research and disseminating results. Many researchers are embracing this new way of doing research, sometimes fostered by funders, and universities must act. Open Science brings challenges and opportunities that must be evaluated from a university perspective in order to make changes in the way they provide services and infrastructures for researches. And, moreover, Open Science implies new ways of evaluating research, internally and externally. Universities must develop their own strategy for Open Science and an action plan to implement it. In this talk, I will introduce some ideas on how to develop it.

Coffee Break

Changing the culture of Research Metrics in research organisations

The paper will look at the cultural change at an institutional level that is required to effect the move to Open Science. It will describe the 8 pillars of Open Science, as defined by the European Commission, and then look in detail at the issue of the responsible use of metrics. It will analyse the high level findings of a recent HEFCE survey on the use of Bibliometrics in UK universities; and then propose a 4-step plan to enable universities and research organisations to promote the responsible use of metrics. The insights are built around the LERU Roadmap for Open Science, which was published in May 2018.

Sponsor Talk: Open Science, a Publisher’s perspective

Over the past decade, Open Access has become a mainstream publication model, with increasing support from international organizations, universities and the European Union. De Gruyter has been one of the first publishers to embrace Open Access and now has an impressive OA book and journal portfolio, which has been growing both organically and through acquisitions. Launching new journals and flipping subscription ones to OA is always a challenge, however, figures show that not only is it possible, but can be beneficial to the journal in the long run.

It’s high time to rethink how we pay for Open infrastructure; it’s high time to act

Changes in the current scholarly communications policy, service and infrastructure ecosystem require us to rethink how we will sustain our open efforts in the future. Seed funding will help us innovate; however, are we as libraries ready to invest in maintaining and further developing good practices for years to come such as services we have come to depend upon to implement our policies such as DOAJ or SHERPA/RoMEO? Many of us in Europe are reliant on our ministries or on generous institutions for funding, but when governments or priorities change, how sure are we that this funding can or will continue? Furthermore, funders are increasingly introducing Open policies; what is their contribution to sustaining Open services/infrastructure? Or are we going to leave it to large publishers to purchase services and infrastructure to add it to their increasingly diversified portfolio, increasing our dependency on them? A range of Open Research initiatives is experimenting with new business models to help combat these challenges. Furthermore, a new collective partnership model such as SCOSS is stimulating change in this area. Such developments are changing mindsets as regards the way we finance Open Research. It is time to rethink how we fund the Open services and infrastructure that support Open policy and practice. Merely continuing to talk of the need to sustain service and infrastructure or taking a piecemeal approach will not cut it, we need to see a strategic vision and approach to help ensure the scholarly communications services and infrastructure are here for years to come.

A research perspective from Poland on Open Science

“Open Science” is emerging and one of the “buzzwords” among the scientific community around the globe. It is not easy to define and contain many aspects, shadows and a multitude of assumptions that are rather hard to implement together at the same time. Open Science is a topic accompanied by a vivid discussion of different stakeholders from a scholar, librarians, publishers or IT staff. Each country has its own road to achieving Open Science. There are several good practices and models from many countries such as the Netherlands, the United Kingdom or the United States. Poland is one of the countries where the idea of Open Science is still in the developing phase. However, recently it has been observed an uprising trend to increase a significant number of scientific and research projects using the idea of Open Access and Open Research Data. Gdańsk University of Technology (GUT) is strongly involved in disseminating and promoting the idea of Open Science. Our scientific journals are fully based on the Open Access model. Setting up the institutional repository and scientific platform The Bridge of Knowledge, helped us to reach a large number of scholars that are willing to share their research findings. Our next step for Open Science will be more challengeable. The Bridge of Data project is strongly in line with the European Commission strategy to build up the infrastructure and awareness of the benefits of opening research data. At GUT and in cooperation with other institutions from the Pomeranian region (the University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk), not only the data repository will be established but in addition the Training and Competency Center. We would like to provide for scientists the infrastructure and support at the same time to achieve satisfactory results in sharing research data.

Lunch Break

Sponsor Talk: eBooks in your Library: Discoverability, Communication and the Future of eBooks

Be part of a conversation on the different elements of academic eBooks including discoverability, communication and the future of eBooks. All librarians are welcome to this presentation, which is also going to outline various science-related eBooks and digital products and how you can use them in your role. For example, listen to the differences between the Combined Chemical Dictionary vs. the Dictionary of Natural Products. Share your experiences and opinions on eBooks and what can be done to make eBook platforms easier and more convenient for you to use. Give feedback on what works well and what doesn’t when using eBooks in the sciences, and listen to others talk about their views on eBooks.

Panel Discussion

Opening Note: Dr. Anna Wałek, Director of the Library of Gdansk University of Technology and Dr. Tiberius Ignat, Director of Scientific Knowledge Services

Closing Notes