Digital tools that support open science practices play a key role in the seamless accumulation, archiving and dissemination of scholarly data, outcomes and conclusions. Despite their integration into open science practices, the providence and design of these digital tools are rarely explicitly scrutinized. This means that influential factors, such as the funding models of the parent organizations, their geographic location, and the dependency on digital infrastructures are rarely considered. Suggestions from literature and anecdotal evidence already draw attention to the impact of these factors, and raise the question of whether the open science ecosystem can realise the aspiration to become a truly “unlimited digital commons” in its current structure.
Bezuidenhout L and Havemann J. The varying openness of digital open science tools [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 1 approved with reservations]. F1000Research 2021, 9:1292 (https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.26615.2)