Open Science and Academic Libraries: Awareness, Adoption, and Challenges in Higher Education Institutions

Open Science has emerged as a significant movement for enhancing transparency, accessibility, and collaboration in scholarly communication. The study found that library professionals possess moderate to high awareness of Open Science principles and actively support initiatives such as institutional repositories, open access services, and research data management. The findings reveal that Open Science offers important benefits, including increased research visibility, enhanced knowledge sharing, and improved research collaboration. However, challenges relating to institutional policies, training opportunities, infrastructure, and funding continue to affect effective implementation. The statistical analysis confirmed that educational qualification, professional experience, and participation in Open Science training programmes significantly influence awareness and adoption levels. The study highlights the critical role of academic libraries in advancing Open Science and fostering an open knowledge environment. Overall, strengthening policy frameworks, professional competencies, and institutional support mechanisms will be essential for promoting sustainable Open Science practices in higher education institutions.

1.                Ayris, P., & Ignat, T. (2018). Defining the Role of Libraries in the Open Science Landscape. Open Information Science, 2(1), 1–16. 2.                Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). (2023). Open Science Toolkit for Academic Libraries. Chicago: ACRL. 3.                Chiware, E. R. T., & Becker, D. A. (2022). Research Data Management Services in Academic Libraries: A Review of Global Practices. Library Management, 43(6/7), 410–425. 4.                Cox, A. M., Kennan, M. A., Lyon, L., & Pinfield, S. (2023). Developments in Research Data Management and Open Science Services in Libraries. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 49(2), 102601. 5.                European Commission. (2022). Open Science Policy Platform Recommendations. Brussels: European Commission. 6.                Fecher, B., & Friesike, S. (2014). Open Science: One Term, Five Schools of Thought. In S. Bartling & S. Friesike (Eds.), Opening Science. Springer. 7.                Foster Open Science Project. (2021). Open Science Training Handbook. European Union. 8.                International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). (2024). Open Science and Libraries: Global Perspectives. The Hague: IFLA. 9.                Kraker, P., Leony, D., Reinhardt, W., & Beham, G. (2018). The Case for an Open Science Ecosystem. Information Services & Use, 38(1–2), 1–14. 10.             Lynch, C. A. (2017). Updating the Agenda for Academic Libraries and Scholarly Communication. College & Research Libraries, 78(2), 126–130.