Open Knowledge Practices Developed by Engineering and Technology Researchers in Colombia

Abstract

The objective of this article was to analyze open science practices used by Colombian researchers in the fields of engineering and technology, who participated in a study that provided empirical input for the formulation of Colombia’s National Open Science Policy. A quantitative, descriptive approach was used, supported by a survey answered by 978 researchers. The most common open science practices were open access to databases and journals. Notably low usage was reported for research data, software, hardware, and source code publication. The most common open science practices were open access to databases and journals. Notably low usage was reported for research data, software, hardware, and source code publication. Regarding open science infrastructures, institutional repositories and academic networks were the most used, while the adoption of innovative platforms for knowledge sharing remains limited. The most frequent open participation practice was researcher–citizen collaboration in research projects. Open dialogue with other knowledge systems was the least reported component. The findings highlight the need to strengthen training so that researchers can adopt platforms for scientific information management based on collaboration, openness, and inclusion.