How do we put research and social priorities at the centre of Open Science?

The open science movement grew from actions on the outside of conventional practice. It has focused on the impediments to the flow of information and on challenging the systems and culture around them. As the movement matures to being the driver of new systems and a more open culture, it’s time to look at how well these are meeting the needs of research and of wider society. Both access to and the creation of research information and data have expanded rapidly, while researchers and research users complain of information overload. Will we revert to known networks and prestige to judge what’s worthy of attention? How can research outputs avoid being a ‘data exhaust’: what are the quality and usability gateways? And how do we ensure that society at large is better served in the formulation of questions and the generation of answers? In this session we will discuss an open science future that is responsive and purposeful and the source of meaningful change