Open science in academia: a framework for monitoring universities’ Open Science programs

Open Science programs are structured educational, research, and technical projects that support the application of Open Science practices in universities. Despite growing interest in monitoring Open Science practices, two key gaps remain: limited research on how the organizational design of Open Science is implemented in universities, and an overemphasis on output-based indicators that overlook processual and organizational aspects. To address these gaps, this study develops a responsive framework that universities can adapt to monitor the progress and ‘health’ of their Open Science programs. The framework, developed through a case study involving eleven semi-structured interviews and three participant observations, was rigorously validated during two focus groups involving thirteen Open Science experts. We describe the study’s results using the responsive evaluation method, which is suitable in complex social systems and is recognized as a learning process by the evaluation’s stakeholders. The proposed framework comprises seven key themes: Open Science as an ecosystem, Epistemic Cultures, Governance, Technical Infrastructure, Funding, Open Science as a Process, and Reflexivity. The developed framework advances theory by framing Open Science as an institutional practice embedded in organizational structures, and it supports practice by providing universities and policymakers with a more comprehensive tool for assessing and managing Open Science initiatives going beyond output-based indicators.