Dynamics of cumulative advantage and threats to equity in open science: a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Scholarly communication and research practices.
• Sociology of science and technology.
• Information science and policy.

Background:

• Open Science aims for greater inclusivity, participation, and reusability in research.
• However, successful Open Science adoption requires significant capacity (knowledge, skills, resources, motivation), which varies globally.
• Existing inequalities may be perpetuated or amplified during the transition to Open Science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review literature on how inequality dynamics persist or worsen in the Open Science transition.
• To identify threats to equity across disciplines, regions, and demographics.
• To inform future research and policy for a more equitable Open Science.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature scoping review.
• Analysis of existing evidence and discourse on inequality in Open Science.
• Synthesis of findings to identify research gaps and policy implications.

Main Results:

• Identified threats to equity across Open Access, Open Data, Open Methods, Open Evaluation, and Citizen Science.
• Highlighted risks including publishing stratification (author-pays models), digital divides (data infrastructure), devaluation of qualitative research, bias in evaluation, and industry/public asymmetries.
• Found that Open Science's inclusivity agenda is at risk of propagating 'cumulative advantage'.

Conclusions:

• The transition to Open Science poses significant risks of perpetuating and exacerbating existing inequalities.
• Specific threats are linked to the core components of Open Science and its societal interfaces.
• Concerted policy and research efforts are needed to mitigate these risks and ensure equitable participation.