Open science

Suggestions for specific deliverables: 1. Don't reinvent the wheel - extend the tri-agency open access policy on publications to government scientists and contractors (summer 2016): http://www.science.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=F6765465-1 2. Improve on the tri-agency policy by requiring that a copy of all peer-reviewed publications be made openly accessible through a Canadian-based open access archive, even if works are published in open access journals. Rationale: (speaking as a university researcher focusing on the economics of transition to open access): it is not wise to rely on journals to provide ongoing access of any kind, never mind open access in perpetuity. Journals start, stop, merge, split, change hands and/or approaches all the time. For example, this year I found that 27 journals active on the website of the world's largest and possibly most commercial successful open access publishers, Hindawi, are no longer there this year. If Canadian researchers have published in these journals, it is not clear how anyone would access this content. 3. Research data should be covered under the open government directive with a default of open. To facilitate the effectiveness of research funded by Canadians, government scientists (and contractors) should be instructed to actively cooperate with, and advocate for, international data-sharing initiatives, aligned with Canadian priorities. I think it is timely to commit to sharing of environmental data globally to track compliance with goals set out in Paris last year and to accelerate change towards a clean energy economy. The mapping of the human genome in 13 years showed us what we can do when we work together. 4. Researchers funded by the government should be actively engaged with the public at all phases of the research. Every government scientist or group of scientists should be encouraged to adopt their own approach to open research such as open notebook science, research blogs, creating educational videos for YouTube, twitter accounts, citizen science projects. Specific deliverables: a) open communication and engagement directive for government scientists - suggested timeline fall 2016; b) 1 - 3 citizen science pilot projects - suggested timeline 2017-2018.