Open research is research conducted in the spirit of free and open source software. Much like open source schemes that are built around a source code that is made public, the central theme of open research is to make clear accounts of the methodology freely available via the internet, along with any data or results extracted or derived from them. This permits a massively distributed collaboration, and one in which anyone may participate at any level of the project.
If the research is scientific in nature, it is frequently referred to as open science.[1][2] Open research can also include social sciences, the humanities, mathematics, engineering and medicine.
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An important distinction should be made between different types of open projects. Providing open data is a necessary but not sufficient condition for open research, in that though the data may be used by anyone, there is no requirement for subsequent research to take place openly. Projects that provide open data but don't offer open collaboration are referred to as "open access" rather than open research. For example, though there have been many calls for more open collaborative research in drug discovery[3] and the open deposition of large amounts of data,[4] there are very few active, openly collaborative projects in this area.[5][6][7]
Projects on the internet that recruit large numbers of participants to carry out small tasks which are then assembled into a larger project outcome have delivered significant research outcomes[8][9], but these projects are distinct from those in which participants are able to influence the overall direction of the research, or in which participants are expected to have creative input into the science behind the project.
Most open research is conducted within existing research groups. Primary research data are posted which can be added to, or interpreted by, anyone who has the necessary expertise and who can therefore join the collaborative effort. Thus the "end product" of the project (which may still be subject to future expansion or modification) arises from many contributions across multiple research groups, rather than the effort of one group or individual. Open research is therefore distinct from open access in that the output of open research is prone to change with time[10].
Unlike open access, true open research must demonstrate live, online collaboration. Project websites that demonstrate this capability have started to become available[11][12].
Issues with copyright are dealt with by using either standard copyright (where applicable), releasing the content into the Public domain[11] or by releasing the content under licenses such as one of the Creative Commons licenses[12] or one of the GNU General Public Licenses.
In 2005 several examples arose in the area of the search for new/improved medical treatments of Neglected Diseases[12][13][14][15][16].
In June 2008 The Open Source Science Project was launched in Michigan to invite members of the internet community to directly fund scientific research projects in exchange for researchers publishing their insights and research data under a Creative Commons license. In September 2008 the Open Source Drug Discovery Network was launched in India to combat infectious diseases common to developing countries.
In May 2011 Substepr was launched as an open research website that is designed to record methodology information across a broad range of fields and permit the open editing of that information[11].
While first attempts towards opening research were primarily aimed at opening areas such as scientific data, methodologies, software and publications, now increasingly other artifacts of the scientific workflow are also tackled, such as scientific meta-data[17] and funding ideas [18].