Open science and research evaluation - Issues and prospects

The sharing of scientific advances - publications, data, software, protocols, etc. - promotes wider and faster dissemination of discoveries. By subjecting results and data to critical discussion by a wider public, this sharing reinforces the rigor and ethics of research. As a result, the scientific community largely embraces the principle of open science.

However, a major obstacle to its development lies in evaluation practices. Researchers, concerned about the national and international recognition of their work, are questioning the criteria that govern their evaluation, particularly in terms of recruitment, promotion and funding of research projects. What are the new rules adopted by universities, research organizations and national and European funding agencies?

This session will address these questions by explaining how the rise of open science has transformed scientific publishing. The traditional subscription-based model for scientific journals (pay to read) has given way to a system where researchers have to pay to publish in open access (pay to publish). Despite legislative advances, such as the Law for a Digital Republic, allowing deposit in open archives, these developments raise new economic and strategic challenges.

We will also examine the repercussions of transforming agreements, which enable institutions - by means of consortia such as Couperin in France - to negotiate both access to paying journals and the assumption of open access publication costs.

Finally, the essential question of evaluation will be at the heart of the debates. Maria Leptin, President of the European Research Council (ERC), will shed light on the evaluation criteria adopted at European level, while at national level, the practices implemented by the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) will be detailed.

Organized by Patrick Couvreur, member of the Académie des sciences, chairman of its Comité évaluation et science ouverte (CoESO), member of the Académie des technologies, the Académie nationale de pharmacie and the Académie nationale de médecine, professor emeritus at the Université Paris-Saclay.

Program

2:30pm-2:45pm: Introduction and presentation of the rapport du Comité pour l'évaluation et la science ouverte (CoESO) 
Patrick COUVREUR

This introduction will be followed by a minute's silence in memory of Mark-Olivier GOERBIG, researcher in the Theory group at the Solid State Physics Laboratory (Université Paris-Saclay/CNRS), external member of the CoEso of the Academy of Sciences.

14:45-15:15: The different economic models of open science
Karim RAMDANI, research director at Inria, Institut Elie Cartan de Lorraine (IECL - CNRS/Université de Lorraine).
Open science has profoundly transformed the economic model of scientific publishing. The traditional system, where you had to pay a subscription to read articles (pay to read), has gradually given way to a new model, in which researchers have to pay to publish in open access (pay to publish). Karim Ramdani will present the consequences of this evolution for readers and authors alike.

15:15-15:20: Discussion
15:20-15:50: How to negotiate the best transformative agreements with major publishers?
Michel DENEKEN, President of the Couperin Consortium and former President of the University of Strasbourg.
The Couperin Consortium is an association of French higher education and research establishments aiming to develop access to scientific and technical information for the scientific community. Michel Deneken will explain how this consortium supports open science and negotiates agreements with major publishers to ensure the best possible access to digital documentary resources.

15:50-15:55: Discussion
15:55-16:25: Assessment of research proposals (intervention in English)
Maria LEPTIN, president of the European Research Council (ERC)
The European Research Council (ERC), established by the European Union in 2007, is Europe's leading funding organization for outstanding frontier research. It supports creative researchers of all nationalities and career stages to carry out pioneering projects across Europe. Maria Leptin will present how the ERC's evaluation process ensures a fair and objective assessment of submitted scientific proposals.

16:25-16:30: Discussion

16:30-17:00: Disciplinary and interdisciplinary evaluation: progress and challenges for the CNRS today
Martina KNOOP, Research Director at the CNRS, Director of the Mission pour les initiatives transverses et interdisciplinaires (Miti) at the CNRS
The rigorous evaluation of a researcher, a team or a research project must above all be qualitative. This means simplifying evaluation procedures while making them more relevant and thorough, both in disciplinary and interdisciplinary terms. Martina Knoop will present the advances made, as well as the challenges facing the CNRS today.

17:00-17:05: Discussion

17:05: Conclusion

17:10: End of session
 

Free and compulsory registration subject to availability.

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