Accessibility, Transparency, Inclusivity? The Values of Open Science and the Paradox of Democratization
Abstract
This article examines the paradox of democratization in Open Science: on the one hand, open science promotes accessibility and transparency in the scientific process; on the other hand, it reinforces existing academic inequalities. The key challenges of Open Science are analyzed, including financial barriers for researchers from the Global South, the dominance of quantitative methods over qualitative ones, language and digital barriers, as well as risks associated with open data and peer review. Special attention is given to the issue of the gamification of the academic environment, which turns Open Science into a tool not for democratization but for the capitalization of science.
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