Today, I discovered a project that really inspired me:
A Kick-starter for academia, running campaigns, where researchers together pledge to do an open science practice. It’s an effort to bring researchers together to improve how we share and use research. It’s about campaigners working as a team to make science more open and fair for everyone.
Why Does This Matter?
Right now, many researchers feel stuck. To succeed, they have to do things that don’t help the bigger picture. For example, they may:
- Publish in expensive journals because it helps their career.
- Keep data or code private to avoid others taking credit.
These actions make sense for one person, but they hurt the whole research community. It doesn’t have to be this way, though. If we all worked together, we could create a system that is better for everyone.
A Different Way Forward
Free Our Knowledge wants to help researchers act together. Imagine if thousands of researchers decided to:
- Stop using expensive journals and support free ones.
- Share their data and code so others can build on their work.
- Publish their peer reviews to improve trust in science.
If we all make these changes together, no one has to risk their career.
How It Works
The platform works like Kickstarter, but for science. Researchers can sign up for campaigns to make small changes in how they work. Some changes start right away. Others happen only when enough people join in. This way, no one has to take a big step alone.
Free Our Knowledge plans to start small, asking for simple actions. Over time, it hopes to inspire bigger campaigns that involve thousands of researchers across many fields.
Here are some of their recent campaigns that you can join today:
1. Publish in Diamond Open Access
Many researchers are frustrated with expensive, profit-driven journals. This campaign asks cognitive scientists to pledge to publish one paper in a diamond open-access journal in the next five years. The pledge activates when 500 researchers join.
2. Publish Your Peer Reviews
Peer reviews are often hidden, even though they are important. This campaign asks reviewers to share their reviews with preprints. It’s a simple way to make research more open and encourage discussion.
3. Postprint Pledge for Linguistics
This pledge asks linguists to share the accepted version (postprint) of their articles online. This makes research easier to access for everyone, especially those who can’t pay for journals.
Why I Care
I’ve often felt frustrated by how hard it is to share knowledge in science. We have the tools to do better, but change feels slow. Free Our Knowledge gives me hope. It’s a way for researchers to take action together, without fear.
How You Can Help
- Join a campaign: Every pledge counts.
- Spread the word: Tell your friends and colleagues.
- Get involved: They need support to grow.
Academia can be better. If we all work together, we can create a system that values sharing, openness, and trust.
What do you think? Could this be the change we need? Let me know your thoughts!
