Book Review: Sabina Leonelli. Philosophy of Open Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023

In Philosophy of Open Science, Sabina Leonelli engages with how the ideology behind "Open Science" (OS) is understood and undertaken within the contemporary academic community.This book draws primarily from theoretical research, but also from Leonelli's own experiences and perspective as an academic.It is a short read at around 60 pages, and the writing efficiently conveys relevant theories and its argument.I would recommend this book for anyone looking to successfully implement Open Science strategies and ideas.Because the book is precise in its argumentation, it would be most useful for those already a bit familiar with how Open Science, functions within the current research landscape, and who have some foundational knowledge on contemporary issues in philosophy of science.The book is still generally accessible for an academic audience and does provide brief descriptive accounts for ideas it engages with, although readers should be aware that brief explanations for complex ideas such as Knowledge Capitalism and Big Data can be insufficient to convey for the reader the true depth of those theories.The book begins with an exploration of notable historical developments in the philosophy of science which underpin the Open Science movement, including discussion of Robert K. Merton's principles of "Universalism" and "Disinterestedness", and Karl Popper's "Open Society".There is also an overview of the material history of knowledge sharing, knowledge resources, and journal publication.This historical lens helps situate Open Science and is illuminating in its own right.Building on these historical principles, the contemporary way that 'openness' in science is commonly understood is as a radical level of transparency where the final results and different aspects of the research process, such as datasets and methodology, are all free and available to anyone.This is indeed how 'open science' is being implemented in practice.However, Leonelli critiques this understanding of Open Science as being a very particular interpretation of "sharing science" within an object-oriented view of science.Furthermore, it is contended that this approach to sharing within

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Publication Details

Journal
Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science
Published
2025-11-11
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5206/cjils-rcsib.v48i2.24095
Primary Topic
Academic Publishing and Open Access
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Book Review: Sabina Leonelli. Philosophy of Open Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023

Sue Wilson
Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science
Academic Publishing and Open Access
article

Book Review: Sabina Leonelli. Philosophy of Open Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023

Sue Wilson
article en

Abstract

In Philosophy of Open Science, Sabina Leonelli engages with how the ideology behind "Open Science" (OS) is understood and undertaken within the contemporary academic community.This book draws primarily from theoretical research, but also from Leonelli's own experiences and perspective as an academic.It is a short read at around 60 pages, and the writing efficiently conveys relevant theories and its argument.I would recommend this book for anyone looking to successfully implement Open Science strategies and ideas.Because the book is precise in its argumentation, it would be most useful for those already a bit familiar with how Open Science, functions within the current research landscape, and who have some foundational knowledge on contemporary issues in philosophy of science.The book is still generally accessible for an academic audience and does provide brief descriptive accounts for ideas it engages with, although readers should be aware that brief explanations for complex ideas such as Knowledge Capitalism and Big Data can be insufficient to convey for the reader the true depth of those theories.The book begins with an exploration of notable historical developments in the philosophy of science which underpin the Open Science movement, including discussion of Robert K. Merton's principles of "Universalism" and "Disinterestedness", and Karl Popper's "Open Society".There is also an overview of the material history of knowledge sharing, knowledge resources, and journal publication.This historical lens helps situate Open Science and is illuminating in its own right.Building on these historical principles, the contemporary way that 'openness' in science is commonly understood is as a radical level of transparency where the final results and different aspects of the research process, such as datasets and methodology, are all free and available to anyone.This is indeed how 'open science' is being implemented in practice.However, Leonelli critiques this understanding of Open Science as being a very particular interpretation of "sharing science" within an object-oriented view of science.Furthermore, it is contended that this approach to sharing within

Canadian Journal of Information and Library ScienceVol. 48(2)
Dalhousie University (CA)
Openalex Percentile: Top 67%
Academic Publishing and Open Access
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