Open Science – Philosophical Foundations, Open Inquiry, and Radical Innovation

Humanity is now facing a number of extraordinary societal and ecological challenges. Tackling these challenges requires a transition from an exploitative and hyper-competitive model of science and society to a more sustainable and collaborative one. In the turbulent times to come, humanity will have to make a number of urgent, difficult, and wide-ranging decisions. These decisions should be based on the best scientific knowledge we can get—relevant, adaptive, and flexible, yet robust. They should be broadly supported by a scientifically literate public to enable effective and positive policy outcomes. Unfortunately, it is not at all evident how to set up an academic and societal intellectual eco-system that enables the radical innovation and profound change required without losing stability and accountability in the process. The open science movement attempts to implement such a system. It is rapidly gaining traction and influence with backing from many national and supranational funding bodies. The overall aim of this project is to elaborate the philosophical foundations of open science and to identify the conditions that support its implementation in practice. First, this research project intends to develop an epistemological foundation for open science that appreciates diversity, flexibility, adaptivity, and robustness based on a processual perspective on scientific inquiry.  Second, it will probe the limits of rational planning and prediction for scientific innovation focusing on the role of individual learning and creativity in open inquiry and radical innovation. Finally, it will examine the circumstances under which open inquiry thrives, and will use installation theory to suggest leverage points for redesigning research practices and education.