Threat of policy alienation: Exploring the implementation of Open Science policy in research practice

Abstract Many European countries have introduced Open Science (OS) policies to improve the quality and efficiency of science and to increase economic and societal growth. Researchers’ perceptions and experiences of OS policies remain relatively under-investigated. This explorative study applies the policy alienation perspective to understand researchers’ perceptions of OS policy implementation. Analysis of survey responses indicates that researchers have difficulties in coping with OS policy and that they feel policy alienation from OS policy. Hence, researchers may be less willing to try to support OS policy implementation despite the fact that OS policies are motivated by the desire to enhance the excellence and quality of research. The findings address how the incentive problems lie not only in the research evaluation and academic credit systems but also in the policy–practice divide. These problems need to be solved in terms of participation in policymaking and in the knowledge production of ‘openness’ itself.