A new publication by CRI researcher Bastian Greshake Tzovaras and his collaborators has just been published in the journal KULA: Knowledge Creation, Dissemination, and Preservation Studies ! This article shows how publications can be written in an open, distributed and collaborative way.
Today, there are a multitude of digital tools - such as Google Docs, Overleaf or Authorea - that enable scientific publications to be written in collaboration with authors from all over the world. But traditionally, the list of authors and contributors is predefined before the writing process begins. The idea of massively open online articles (MOOP) breaks with this tradition. Instead, MOOPs are defined by an openly participatory process that invites a wide range of contributors, enabling the spontaneous formation of interdisciplinary teams of authors. This approach can therefore prove particularly useful in citizen science projects, where large groups of academic and non-academic participants carry out research together and ultimately wish to publish their findings.
The article just published presents three case study examples of how MOOPs can be used in different fields, along with ten recommendations for best practice. These recommendations cover aspects such as the types of contributors and contributions to MOOPs, the choice of digital tools, structuring and distribution work, and conflict resolution. These recommendations are designed to help structure and implement the drafting of MOOPs.
The article is available free of charge at the following address https://kula.uvic.ca/articles/10.5334/kula.63/
