Methods are one of the most reusable outputs that researchers create and detailed methods are essential for reproducibility, reuse of methods and responsible data reuse. Despite this, open methods have received comparatively little attention compared to other outputs, like open data, open code and open access publications. This talk explores actions that researchers, research institutions and departments, funders, and publishers and editors can take to enhance the quality of methods reporting in preprints and published papers. The talk will highlight some key recommendations for each of these stakeholder groups from the European Commission PRO-MaP (Promoting Reusable and Open Methods and Protocols) Science for Policy report. Coordinated action across stakeholders is essential to change research culture and practice. We’ll also explore opportunities to enhance methods reporting and other open science practices by shifting incentives for graduate students. The TREASURE program at the University of Coimbra rewards students for implementing reproducible, reusable and open research practices, including methods sharing, in their thesis research.

This paper argues that digital scholarly infrastructures, such as bibliographic databases and text corpora, are not neutral representations of reality but constructed models shaped by pragmatic, methodological choices. This is particularly critical in the "closing world" of proprietary platforms like Scopus and Web of Science, which present biased commercial products as objective scholarly tools. Through a critical discussion, this paper unpacks how unexamined decisions regarding operationalisation, standardisation, representativeness, and balance can distort our understanding of a scholarly field. In contrast, the paper highlights collaborative, open data ecosystems that leverage standardisation and interoperability. Ultimately, we argue that fostering a multiplicity of open, auditable models is essential to challenge the monolithic power of commercial actors, democratize research, and achieve genuine data sovereignty.

This presentation introduces how a relatively new, non-profit initiative – the Open Book Collective (OBC) – is furthering open science in a closing world via its diamond approach to funding open access (OA) book publishers. These range from small scholar-led publishers (e.g. Open Book Publishers, African Minds) to larger university presses (e.g. LSE Press, Leuven University Press). The OBC also addresses key gaps in the research infrastructures required for OA books to flourish, by providing funding to its service provider members (OAPEN, PKP, and Thoth Open Metadata).

The presentation concludes by examining how AI chatbots are reshaping human-computer interaction and what this means for maintaining accessible, user-centered scientific information systems in an era of changing user expectations. Disclaimer: my A.I. wrote this.

Registration for the Munin Conference on Scholarly Publishing: conference fees, waiver possibilities, deadlines.

Artificial Intelligence  (AI) is rapidly reshaping how we discover, generate, evaluate, share, and teach research and education. From the ways we discover and share knowledge to how we teach and asses...