How can Open Science enhance linguistics?
Peeking into the research world sometimes feels like stepping into the unknown. Indeed, it can be difficult to envision what doing research exactly looks like. Implementing Open Science practices can help us do and communicate science better –envisioning an open, transparent, and sustainable future for applied linguistics research.
There are many reasons to advocate for Open Science, some of which are discipline-specific and depend on research traditions, types of data, ethical considerations, and more. Ultimately, many such arguments boil down to the pressing need for more equitable and democratic science. Here are a few examples of how openness can be achieved in practice.
Open principles and (some) practices
Firstly, open data practices underscore the importance of transparency at all stages of research. Transparency contributes to high-quality findings, credibility, and rigor. Plus, as more and more data are shared, research efforts can be maximized: anyone can verify results, replicate studies, build further theories or hypotheses, and deepen their learning. However, sharing data isn't the only way to embrace openness. In applied linguistics, the first step towards Open Science was the establishment of IRIS (2011), a database collecting data, tools, and other research materials. Now widely recognized by various institutions and academic journals, IRIS is a freely accessible repository and allows users to search for resources based on a wide range of parameters, such as the type of tool developed to collect data, or the language(s) spoken by the research participants. For students and early-career researchers, IRIS offers a glimpse into the "behind the scenes" of research, providing access to retrieve, among others, interview protocols, language-related questionnaires, comprehension tasks or stimuli, and more.
Tracking different contributions to scholarly output is also important, so that individual work can be acknowledged. Indeed, openness is made truly possible through collaboration.
Open practices also mean accessibility. Beyond sharing data, we also wish to communicate with a wide range of individuals. For instance, thanks to The Open Accessible Summaries in Language Studies (OASIS) initiative, language-related research is summarized in non-technical language. Similarly, TESOLgraphics produces summaries of existing research using infographics. Aimed at teachers and language educators, these initiatives show how openness can positively impact evidence-based practice.
There's a lot that Open Science can do for linguists – but to achieve transparency, collaboration, and accessibility we need to build committed communities. These efforts will not only advance linguistics, but also enhance the broader research ecosystem.
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