OSR Table Talk: Incentives for Open Science

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 

Brain imaging research has benefited from Open Science practices in data sharing and tools development for standardizing the complex processing steps of neuroimaging data. These collective efforts from the Open Science community have enhanced the reliability, generalizability, and ultimately clinical translatability of brain-behavior findings. However, with limited recognition and supporting resources, many teams that govern the open datasets and that maintain the open tools have struggled to provide sustainable services to the broad research community. In addition, the open science community, especially early-career researchers, has started to raise concerns regarding the incentives in the Open Science practices considering the incommensurate payoff in career development for the invested time and effort. Questions such as “Why Open Science?” “How do I keep practicing Open Science in a way that helps my career?” “How to balance time, efforts, and resources going into a research project/paper versus into Open Science practices?” have resurfaced. Everyone in the audience is encouraged to partake in a lively, non-hierarchical discussion. An open discussion on these matters will foster critical inquiry into the next step of Open Science initiatives.

More information about the panel can be found at https://ohbm.github.io/osr2025/tabletalk

1. Understanding the challenges and benefits of practicing Open Science, specifically how it affects one’s career development.
2. Stimulate critical thinking on incentives in Open Science or ways to incentivize Open Science practices by the research community.
3. Asking and answering questions in a large group discussion. 

Within the Open Science Room (OSR), we aim to welcome a diverse spectrum of existing members and newcomers into the OHBM open science community and provide a starting point for researchers at the early or intermediate stages of their open science journey. Everyone is encouraged to partake in the discussion.