Observations & Responses
Observations are descriptive overviews of policies that are shaping open scholarship in Canada and beyond. They aim to provide an overview of both the policies’ impact and the responses of the academic and non-academic communities. We cover a range of topics, including both recent and touchstone policies. Suggest a topic you’d like to see us cover.
Responses are written by INKE Partnership Members and are critical engagements with policies from the unique perspectives of individual Partnership Members, who represent researchers, librarians and stakeholders at the forefront of digital scholarship in Canada and beyond.
Recap of the 6th annual gathering of the Canadian Australian Partnership for Open Scholarship
The 6th annual gathering of the Canadian Australian Partnership for Open Scholarship (CAPOS), held from 2-3 December 2024 at Flinders University in Adelaide, brought together a vibrant group of scholars, policymakers, industry experts, and advocates to discuss topics related to digital commons, platforms and emerging knowledge frameworks in open scholarship. The theme, “Commons, Platforms and Emerging Knowledge Frameworks,” provided a dynamic forum for discussion and exchange on open digital scholarship as it currently exists, as well as future opportunities for international collaboration, policy development, interdisciplinary research, and creative exchange.
Clarivate announces plans to phase out one-time perpetual purchases of e-books
In February 2025, Clarivate announced plans to end perpetual print and e-book purchases, sparking concern across the academic library sector. This observation by Brittany Amell, with input from INKE Partners Evelyn Feldman, Susan Haigh, and Rowena Johnson, explores key reactions and implications for scholarly publishing, open access, and digital ownership.
Les organismes fédéraux de financement de la recherche viennent de finaliser des lignes directrices sur l’utilisation de l’intelligence artificielle dans l’élaboration et l’évaluation des propositions de recherche
Ce rapport « Insights and Signals » prolonge un rapport antérieur publié sur le site de l’Observatoire concernant une annonce des trois organismes fédéraux de financement de la recherche relative à l’élaboration de lignes directrices pour l’utilisation de l’IA générative dans l’élaboration et l’évaluation des demandes de subvention (initialement publié ici en novembre 2024).
Guidance on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Development and Review of Research Grant Proposals Now Finalized by Federal Research Funding Agencies
This insight and signals report extends an earlier report published on the Observatory regarding an announcement from the three federal research funding agencies regarding the development of guidance for the use of generative AI in the development and review of grant applications (originally published here in November, 2024). This guidance has since been finalized and released by the Tri-Council, and this finalized guidance is summarized here. Questions for further consideration are also presented, as are responses INKE Partners John Willinsky and John Maxwell. In addition to the above, this insights and signals report also shares an example of one hypothetical way the Tri-Council’s guidance might be adapted to create a working generative AI policy for a journal.
Une révision de la Politique des trois organismes sur le libre accès aux publications (2015)
https://doi.org/10.25547/RW6S-JW20 Lisez-le en anglais / Read it in English Cette observation a été rédigée par Caroline Winter et Brittany Amell. Nous remercions Elizabeth Kalbfleisch, Jessica Clark et Suzanne Beth pour leurs commentaires et leurs contributions....
Review of Canada’s Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications (2015)
https://doi.org/10.25547/19ZE-V830 Version française ici This observation was written by Caroline Winter and revised by Brittany Amell. With thanks to Elizabeth Kalbfleisch, Jessica Clark and Suzanne Beth for their feedback and contributions. At a glance: Title Review...
La sécurité de la recherche et la science ouverte au Canada
La sécurité de la recherche, c’est-à-dire la capacité d’identifier les risques pour les processus et les produits de la recherche et de prendre des mesures pour les atténuer, est une préoccupation de longue date pour la communauté de la recherche et ses parties prenantes, y compris les individus et individues jusqu’aux gouvernements nationaux. Bien que l’ouverture et la collaboration soient essentielles pour faire avancer la recherche, une plus grande ouverture peut également entraîner de plus grands risques. Sécuriser les données et les connaissances numériques et d’autres extrants intangibles est particulièrement difficile. Cela a été mis en évidence pendant la pandémie de COVID-19, lorsque le pivot vers des environnements de travail virtuels et des niveaux sans précédent de collaboration mondiale et de partage de la recherche se sont accompagnés de menaces de sécurité accrues (voir « Science ouverte et COVID-19 »).
Research Security and Open Scholarship in Canada
Research security—the ability to identify risks to research processes and outputs and take measures to mitigate them—is a longstanding concern for the research community and its stakeholders, from individuals to national governments. Although openness and collaboration are essential for advancing research, greater openness can also lead to greater risks. Securing digital data, knowledge, and other intangible outputs is especially challenging. This was made evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the pivot to virtual work environments and unprecedented levels of global collaboration and research sharing was accompanied by increased security threats (see “Open Scholarship and COVID-19”).
Le 20e anniversaire de l’Initiative de Budapest pour l’accès ouvert
Le 15 mars 2022, l’Initiative de Budapest pour l’accès ouvert (BOAI) a célébré son 20e anniversaire en publiant quatre nouvelles recommandations de haut niveau – ainsi que des sous-recommandations détaillées et d’autres développements – mettant l’accent sur le libre accès dirigé par les communautés et l’équité mondiale, et en relevant les principaux défis de la prochaine décennie (BOAI 2022).
The Budapest Open Access Initiative’s 20th Anniversary Recommendations
On March 15, 2022, the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) celebrated its 20th anniversary by releasing four new high-level recommendations—along with detailed sub-recommendations and further elaborations—focusing on community-led open access (OA) and global equity, and addressing key challenges for the coming decade (BOAI 2022).
