Openness

Openness is an overarching concept that is characterized by an emphasis on transparency and collaboration.<ref name=Peters>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref name=Schlagwein>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> That is, openness refers to "accessibility of knowledge, technology and other resources; the transparency of action; the permeability of organisational structures; and the inclusiveness of participation".<ref name=Schlagwein /> Openness can be said to be the opposite of closedness,<ref name=Schlagwein /> central authority and secrecy.<ref name=Peters />

Openness concept

Openness has been attributed to a wide array of approaches in very different contexts as outlined below. While there is no universally accepted definition of the overarching concept of openness, a 2017 comprehensive review concludes that:

Open terminology can refer to a higher-order concept (e.g. the ‘‘philosophy of openness’’); the nature of resources (e.g. ‘‘open data’’); the nature of processes (e.g. ‘‘open innovation’’); or the effects on specific domains (e.g. ‘‘open education’’) [...] The principles typically used to characterize this higher-order concept are: access to information and other resources; participation in an inclusive and often collaborative manner; transparency of resources and actions; and democracy or ‘‘democratization’’ such as the breaking up of exclusionary structures.<ref name=Schlagwein />

In government

Template:Main Open government is the governing doctrine which holds that citizens have the right to access the documents and proceedings of the government to allow for effective public oversight.<ref name="ruma">Template:Cite book</ref>

Openness in government applies the idea of freedom of information to information held by authorities and holds that citizens should have the right to see the operations and activities of government at work.<ref name = "Birkinshaw">Template:Cite journal</ref> Since reliable information is requisite for accountability, freedom of access to information about the government supports government accountability and helps protect other necessary rights.<ref name = "Birkinshaw"/>

In creative works

Open content and free content both refer to creative works that lack restrictions on how people can use, modify, and distribute them.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="grossman">Template:Cite news</ref> The terms derive from open source software and free software, similar concepts that refer specifically to software.<ref name="Open Content">Template:Cite web</ref>

In education

Template:Main Open education refers to institutional practices and programmatic initiatives that broaden access to the learning and training traditionally offered through formal education systems. By eliminating barriers to entry, open education aids freedom of information by increasing accessibility.

Open Education advocates state people from all social classes worldwide have open access to high-quality education and resources. They help eliminate obstacles like high costs, outmoded materials, and legal instruments. These barriers impede collaboration among stakeholders. Cooperation is crucial to open education.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Open Education Consortium claims “Sharing is a fundamental attribute of education. Education means the sharing of knowledge, insights, and information with everybody. It is the foundation of new wisdom, ideas, talents, and understanding”.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Open Educational Resources refer to learning materials that educators can improve and modify with permission from their publishers or authors. Creators of OERs are allowed to include a variety of items such as lesson plans, presentation slides, lecture videos, podcasts, worksheets, maps, and images.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

There are legitimate tools like the Creative Commons’ licenses that students can access and use at liberty. They are allowed to translate and amend these materials.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Public school teachers in the USA can share resources they developed as compliance for government-authorized standards in education. One of these is called the Common Core State Standards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some teachers and school officials have recommended that OERs can help reduce expenses in production and distribution of course materials for primary and secondary institutions. Some teachers and school officials have recommended that OERs can help reduce expenses in production and distribution of course materials for primary and secondary institutions. Certain projects like the OER Commons as storage for open educational resources.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In science

Template:Main Open science refers to the practice of allowing peer-reviewed research articles to be available online free of charge and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.<ref name=Suber>Template:Cite web</ref> Benefits of this approach include: accelerated discovery and progress as researchers are free to use and build on the findings of others,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> giving back to the public as much research is paid for with public funds,<ref name=Suber2>Template:Cite web</ref> and greater impact for one's work due to open access articles being accessible to a bigger audience.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

In information technology

There are many aspects of openness in information technology, such as:

• Open Science (related to papers and discoveries in the field of computer science)
• Open Data
• Open Source
• Open Weights
• Open Standards
• Open Hardware
• Open Platforms

In Open-source software, the user is given access to the sources such as source code,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> whereas Open-weight artificial intelligence refers to the artefact itself (typically a model, e.g. a Large Language Model) being made available, with some degree of access to training data, code and parameters that led to the creation of the model itself.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Open-source hardware, the user gets access to sources such as design documents and blueprints.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Open data is data that can be freely used and shared by anyone.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In psychology

Template:Unreferenced section In psychology, openness to experience is one of the domains which are used to describe human personality in the Five Factor Model.Template:Citation needed

See also

• Accessibility
• Free association
• Free content
• Free software
• Glasnost
• Open source
• Open access: publishing
• Open innovation
• Open education
• Open educational resources
• Open-design movement
• Open government
• Open Knowledge Foundation
• Open knowledge
• Open-mindedness
• Open text
• Open gaming
• Open patent
• Open-source curriculum
• Open-source governance
• Open-source journalism
• Open-source model
• Open standard
• Openness to experience
• Secrecy: the opposite of openness
• The Open Definition
• Transparency: openness in a utilitarian view, economic openness, open economic or politic data, degree of openness, etc.

References and notes

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