Bawden, D.

Pinfield, S.

Robinson, L.

Wakeling, S.

City Research Online

              City, University of London Institutional RepositoryCitation: Bawden, D. ORCID: 0000-0002-0478-6456, Robinson, L. ORCID: 0000-0001-5202-8206, Pinfield, S. and Wakeling, S. (2019). Open Access in Theory and Practice: workshop. Paper presented at the Conceptions of Library and Information Science (CoLIS), 16-19 June, Ljubljana, Slovenia. This is the accepted version of the paper. This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Permanent repository link:  http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/22398/Link to published version: Copyright and reuse: City Research Online aims to make research outputs of City, University of London available to a wider audience. Copyright and Moral Rights remain with the author(s) and/or copyright holders. URLs from City Research Online may be freely distributed and linked to.City Research Online:            http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/            publications@city.ac.ukCity Research Online1		Open	Access	in	Theory	and	Practice	CoLIS	2019	workshop		David	Bawden,	Stephen	Pinfield,	Lyn	Robinson,	Simon	Wakeling				Summary	This	workshop	will	focus	on	two	phenomena	and	explore	the	relationship	between	them:	firstly,	open-access	(OA)	publishing	and	dissemination	of	research	outputs	as	part	of	scholarly	communication;	and,	secondly,	the	interactions	of	theory	and	practice	(and,	theorists	and	practitioners),	in	the	Social	Sciences	and	Humanities	(SSH)	in	general	and	Library	and	Information	Science	(LIS)	in	particular.	It	will	explore	the	ways	and	the	extent	that	theory	and	practice	have	interacted	in	the	development	of	OA	approaches	to	scholarly	communication,	and	discuss	what	this	reveals	about	the	nature	of	the	OA	phenomenon	and	the	relationship	between	theory	and	practice.			The	workshop	will	discuss	the	findings	of	an	18-month	research	project	running	from	January	2018	to	July	2019	(funded	by	the	UK’s	Arts	and	Humanities	Research	Council)	investigating	these	issues.	It	will	include	a	detailed	discussion	of	the	theoretical	foundations	of	the	study,	a	systematic	review	of	the	literature,	and	analysis	of	empirical	data	gathered	during	the	research.	The	empirical	data	comprises	38	interviews	with	practitioners	and	policy	makers	associated	with	OA	(funders,	publishers,	OA	service	providers,	consultants,	librarians	and	OA	advocates)	as	well	as	researchers,	about	their	views	on	the	extent	to	which	theory	has	been	helpful	in	explaining	OA	and	has	been	used	to	inform	action	by	practitioners.		The	workshop	will	be	of	interest	to	a	similar	profile	of	participants:	those	working	on	OA	research	and	implementation,	as	well	as	those	interested	in	the	theory-practice	relationship.		The	research	discussed	in	the	workshop	aims	to	contribute	to	the	understanding	of	the	relationship	between	theory	and	practice,	an	ongoing	focus	for	debate	and	policy.	It	will	do	so	as	part	of	contributing	to	a	better	understanding	of	OA	itself,	including	the	views	of	some	of	its	key	implementers,	on	the	ideas	which	shape	their	perceptions	of	OA.	The	workshop	will	cover	these	areas	by	focusing	on	following	themes:	the	nature	of	theory	in	LIS	and	SSH,	the	theory-practice	‘gap’	(as	it	is	often	characterised),	theoretically-informed	(and	other)	understandings	of	OA,	the	way	in	which	OA	policy	and	practice	have	been	formed	in	relation	to	theory	and	other	factors.		The	workshop	will	focus	on	five	main	issues:		1. How	existing	theory	has	been	used,	or	new	theory	developed,	in	relation	to	the	phenomenon	of	open	access;	2. The	extent	to	which	practitioners	(including	policymakers,	information	professionals,	publishers	and	others	involved	in	implementing	OA)	been	influenced	by	or	have	themselves	influenced	theoretically-informed	accounts	of	OA	in	their	attitudes,	policies	or	activities	relating	to	OA;	3. The	nature,	purpose	and	role	of	theory	as	perceived	by	researchers	(particularly	those	who	have	incorporated	theory	or	generated	theory	in	their	research	on	OA),	practitioners	and	policymakers	(involved	in	implementing	OA);	2		4. What	the	(perceived)	relationship	between	theory	and	practice	tells	us	about	OA	as	a	phenomenon	and	movement;	5. What	it	tells	us	about	the	relationship	between	theory	and	practice	in	general,	and	how	the	relationship	between	them	may	be	studied,	for	LIS	in	particular	and	SSH	more	widely.		Outline	The	workshop	will	be	divided	into	the	following	sessions:			1.	Welcome	and	introduction		This	session	will	introduce	the	main	focus	of	the	workshop:	the	theory-practice	relationship,	particularly	in	the	context	of	OA.	It	will	briefly	define	key	concepts,	such	as	‘theory’,	‘practice’,	and	‘open	access’.	It	will	discuss	ways	in	which	the	theory-practice	relationship	has	been	discussed	in	different	contexts,	particularly	relating	to	theory	and	practice	in	areas	relevant	to	SSH.	The	session	will	also	provide	a	brief	overview	of	the	current	‘state	of	the	art’	of	OA	developments	as	a	context	for	the	workshop	as	a	whole.		2.	Theory	and	the	theory-practice	‘gap’	This	session	will	discuss	in	detail	different	conceptions	of	‘theory’	–	what	it	is	and	what	it	is	for.	It	will	interact	in	particular	with	various	typologies	of	theory	in	SSH	developed,	for	example,	by	Gregor	(2006)	and	Reynolds	(1971).	It	will	examine	the	extent	to	which	theory	needs	to	underpin	robust	research,	and	how	different	research	approaches	have	developed	‘theory’,	‘models’	and	‘frameworks’	as	ways	of	analysing	and	explaining	reality,	as	well	as	predicting	developments	or	prescribing	actions.	This	session	will	go	on	to	analyse	ways	in	which	the	relationship	between	theory	and	practice	have	been	discussed	in	SSH.	The	main	contours	of	the	debate	around	the	‘theory-practice	gap’,	prominent	in	a	range	of	applied	fields	(including	management,	nursing,	and	education)	will	be	discussed.			3.	The	uses	of	theory	in	open	access	Theory	has	been	used	in	a	range	of	ways	in	relation	to	open	access,	both	in	terms	of	using	pre-existing	theory	and	also	generating	theory	as	part	of	studies	of	OA.	This	session	will	provide	a	systematic	review	of	the	literature	on	OA	which	uses	or	generates	theory,	exploring	the	different	theories	used	to	investigate	OA,	the	specific	aspects	of	OA	they	have	been	applied	to,	why	and	how	they	are	used,	and	nature	of	theories	generated	as	a	result	of	OA	research.	As	well	identifying	commonly	used	theories,	the	session	will	provide	an	overview	of	work	done	by	different	types	of	authors	(e.g.	researchers,	librarians	and	consultants),	in	different	research	paradigms,	and	on	different	aspects	of	OA.	The	session	will	also	identify	some	key	themes	to	emerge	from	the	analysis.		4.	The	theories	and	practices	of	open	access	in	perspective		This	session	will	report	empirical	research	involving	interviewing	key	actors	in	the	scholarly	communication	space	about	their	perspectives	on	the	theory-practice	relationship.	Participants	include	practitioners	and	policy	makers	(funders,	publishers,	OA	service	providers,	consultants,	librarians	and	OA	advocates),	as	well	as	theorists,	drawn	from	the	UK	and	internationally,	with	a	variety	of	perspectives	on	OA	and	the	theory-practice	relationship.	As	well	as	researchers,	practitioners	will	include	those	who	themselves	have	published	on	questions	of	professional	practice	in	general	and	OA	in	particular,	some	whom	have	made	use	of	theory.	Others	are	those	who	have	not	made	use	of	theory	3		and	those	who	have	not	published	at	all,	but	are	prominent	in	their	professional	domains,	particularly	in	aspects	of	OA	implementation.					5.	Making	sense	of	open	access	in	theory	and	practice	This	session	will	bring	together	the	different	strands	of	the	project	and	make	sense	of	them	in	understanding	OA	in	particular	and	the	theory-practice	relationship	in	general.	As	part	of	the	discussion,	it	will	consider	the	possible	ways	in	which	OA	itself	has	been	discussed	as	a	way	of	addressing	the	theory-practice	gap	and	assess	its	potential	role	in	doing	so.				Organizer(s):		Names	and	affiliations	of	the	organizers		• Prof	Stephen	Pinfield:	University	of	Sheffield	(s.pinfield@sheffield.ac.uk)	• Dr	Simon	Wakeling:	University	of	Sheffield	(s.wakeling@sheffield.ac.uk)	• Prof	David	Bawden:	City,	University	of	London	(d.bawden@city.ac.uk)		• Dr	Lyn	Robinson:	City,	University	of	London	(l.robinson@city.ac.uk)				Format	The	workshop	will	take	the	form	of	a	set	of	facilitated	discussions	on	major	themes,	each	introduced	by	a	short	presentation	by	the	workshop	organizers.	For	each	of	the	major	themes,	the	initial	presentation	will	be	followed	by	a	very	short	response	from	a	discussant	identified	in	advance,	and	not	from	the	session	organizing	team,	who	will	set	discussion	going.	Discussion	will	be	guided	with	the	help	of	a	briefing	document	distributed	to	participants	in	advance	(which	include	references	to	key	works	on	the	topic	including	those	produced	by	the	organizers)	allowing	those	involved	to	prepare.	Discussion	is	expected	to	be	a	combination	of	small	group	and	whole	group	interaction,	but	this	will,	of	course,	depend	on	numbers	of	attendees.		Outline	structure	(with	indicative	times):			 Theme	 Leader	 Timing	1. 	Welcome	and	introduction	• Working	definitions	of	key	concepts,	such	as	‘theory’,	‘practice’,	and	‘open	access’		• Overview	of	the	theory-practice	relationship	in	different	contexts	• Summary	of	the	current	‘state	of	the	art’	of	OA	developments	SP	 15	min	intro	+	10	min	discussion			4		2. 	Theory	and	the	theory-practice	‘gap’	• Conceptions	of	‘theory’	–	what	it	is	and	what	it	is	for	(including	various	typologies	of	theory	in	LIS	and	SSH)	• The	nature	of	‘practice’	and	‘practitioners’	(particularly	relating	to	OA	implementation),	and	the	‘theory-practice	gap’	DB	&	LR	 20	min	intro	+	15	min	discussion		3. 	The	uses	of	theory	in	open	access	• Exploration	of	the	use	of	theory	to	explain	OA,	based	on	the	peer-reviewed	and	practitioner	literature	SP	&	SW	 20	min	intro	+		25	min	discussion			 Break	 	 	4. 	The	theories	and	practices	of	open	access	in	perspective		• Overview	of	empirical	findings	of	the	research	–	including	perspectives	practitioners	and	policy	makers	(funders,	publishers,	OA	service	providers,	consultants,	librarians	and	OA	advocates),	as	well	as	theorists	SP	&	SW	 25	min	intro	+	25	min	discussion		5. 	Making	sense	of	open	access	in	theory	and	practice	• Summary	and	ways	forward	DB,	SP,	LR	&	SW	5	min	intro	+	20	min	discussion			The	workshop	will	be	aimed	those	working	on	or	affected	by	different	notions	of	theory	and	the	question	of	the	relationship	between	theory	and	practice,	in	Library	and	Information	Science	(LIS)	in	particular,	and	the	Social	Sciences	and	Humanities	(SSH)	more	generally.	Since	the	workshop	will	frame	this	discussion	with	reference	to	open	access	(OA)	and	open	science,	it	will	also	appeal	to	academic	researchers	and	practitioners	with	an	interest	and/or	involvement	in	OA.	These	different	participants	will	be	able	to	make	a	contribution	to	the	session	and	it	is	hoped	to	attract	a	variety	of	them	to	attend	in	order	to	encourage	the	contribution	of	a	range	of	perspectives	in	the	discussion.	The	workshop	will	combine	the	findings	of	a	current	research	project	with	the	contributions	of	participants	to	identify	key	issues	which	may	inform	both	future	research	agendas	and	practice-based	activity.			Purpose,	goals	and	expected	outcomes	Using	the	research	undertaken	as	a	starting	point,	the	purpose	of	the	workshop	is	to	enable	better	understanding,	and	highlight	key	issues	raised,	on	the	relationship	between	these	two	phenomena:	firstly,	open	access	as	an	approach	to	the	publishing	and	dissemination	of	research,	and,	secondly,	theory	and	practice	(and,	theorists	and	practitioners)	in	the	Social	Sciences	and	Humanities	in	general	and	Library	and	Information	Science	in	particular.	It	is	envisaged	the	workshop	will	identify	and	clarify	key	current	challenges	in	this	area	of	scholarly	communication	and	highlight	areas	for	future	research.	It	will	also	contribute	to	wider	discussions	on	the	theory-practice	relationship.	We	hope	that	it	will	attract	people	who	might	take	part	in	future	research	collaborations,	which	may	or	may	not	involve	the	session	organizers.	The	session	will	also	help	to	identify	actions	relevant	for	practitioners	in	the	area	of	policy	and	service	development.		5				Value	for	R&D	Our	research	has	uncovered	widely	varying	perspectives	on	what	theory	is	and	on	what	value	theory	has	in	practice.	Such	perspectives	can	help	inform	the	work	of	researchers	interested	in	theory,	theory	generation	and	theory	usage	in	research.	Our	work	also	makes	a	significant	contribution	to	the	question	of	the	theory-practice	relationship.	This	relationship	is	often	characterised	as	a	‘gap’	–	and	the	characteristics	of	that	gap	and	how	it	might	be	narrowed	are	addressed	by	our	findings.	Whilst	the	research	is	focused	on	these	questions	in	relation	to	open	access	publishing	and	dissemination	specifically,	the	research	has	wider	implications	for	information	science,	SSH,	and	the	areas	of	practice	associated	with	these	disciplines.			

Open Access in Theory and Practice: workshop

http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/22398/1/CoLIS%20OATAP%20workshop.pdf

Open Access in Theory and Practice: workshop

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