Towards Building a Roadmap for the Barcelona Declaration: Contributions from Latin America (FOLEC-CLACSO)

Open Research Information in Latin America is in its early stages with emerging regulations and experiences with limited impact. Nonetheless, at FOLEC we firmly believe that open science paradigm, including open research information, is here to stay; future science will be open or it will not be. Latin America has been a pioneer in the open science movement, even before it was defined as such. Diverse epistemic traditions, institutional mechanisms, and public funding have encouraged “open” ways of producing and using scientific knowledge in the region. According to the accumulated experience from the Global South, we wish to contribute to the Barcelona Declaration by proposing three essential elements: Precautions: In the Global South, international scientific production circuits are defined by capacities and infrastructures disparities. It is crucial to prevent and mitigate North-South academic extractivism while promoting the openness of research information. Situated Priorities: Open data is not Latin America’s most urgent need. First, we must address the basic information infrastructure. Additionaly, it is vital to consider multiple opening strategies for several open science components. Articulation and Evaluation: Implementing open information policies should adopt a comprehensive approach. Scientific evaluation (of individuals, publications, institutions) plays a crucial role. It is essential to integrate evaluation and openness to encourage practices that promote a more democratic science. This talk will offer a comprehensive overview of FOLEC’s insights and encourage discussions on how to adapt these approaches to progress towards a globally open and equitable science.