Open data has been a recurring theme on the podcast - for better or worse.

Every year, Digital Science and Springer Nature publish a report on the status of open science, so we thought this year's report was a good occasion to take stock and have a good discussion not only on the status of open status but also on where it's going, how and why.
To help us, we invited one of the report's authors, Mark Hahnel from Digital Science, to the podcast to discuss the report titled 'Bridging Policy and Practice in Data Sharing.'

We cover the importance of open data in research, the dynamics between global north and south, and the need for ethical standards and education in data practices. The discussion also touches on the enthusiasm of Ethiopian researchers for open data and the challenges of ensuring equitable access and utilisation of data across different regions. As always we cover issues of identity and security when it comes to diversity.

And if you can't wait for next year's report - Mark gives us a prediction for the conclusions in the 2025 report at the end of the conversation.

You can find the report her: https://www.digital-science.com/state-of-open-data-report-2024/
You can follow Mark on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhahnel/
You can follow Mark on Bluesky at: https://bsky.app/profile/hahnel.org

The presenting sponsor of this episode is Digital Science.
The episode is produced and edited by Peter Xiong.

Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod .

If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

As two cis-gendered men without children, talking about motherhood in academia isn't really our forte. So, with Lachlan travelling, we took the opportunity to invite Hélène Draux from Digitial Science as guest co-host with Jakob for a conversation about motherhood in academia with Lisette Espín-Noboa and the role it plays in the gender gap. Lisette is a postdoc at the Complexity Science Hub and Central European University.

We discuss the structural issues within academic institutions that disproportionately affect mothers and offer recommendations for creating a more supportive environment for women researchers. We also touch on the role of fathers in sharing parental responsibilities and the positive aspects of motherhood that can enhance academic productivity. We end the conversation with a chat about actionable steps that can be taken to improve conditions for parents in academia, including better childcare options, flexible contracts, and the need for role models.


The presenting sponsor if this episode is Digital Science.
It's produced and edited by Peter Xiong.

You can find Lisette and Hélène here:

• Lisette's website: https://www.lisetteespin.info/
• Lisette at LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisetteespin/
• Hélène at LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/h%C3%A9l%C3%A8ne-draux-4059233a/

Organisations mentioned in the episode

• Mothers in Science | @mothersinsci. Global non-profit organization that advocates for mothers in STEMM and creates evidence-based solutions to promote workplace equity & inclusion of caregivers. mothersinscience.com.
• Parenthood in Academica (@parenthood_ns)

Selected articles and resources mentioned in the episode:

• Anne Sophie Lassen, and Ria Ivandić. "Parenthood and Academic Career Trajectories." In American Economic Association (AEA) Papers and Proceedings, 2024.
• Stephanie D. Cheng "Careers versus children: How childcare affects the academic tenure-track gender gap." Working Paper (2020).
• Scott Daewon Kim & Petra Moser. “BOOM, BABY. WOMEN IN SCIENCE LESSONS FROM THE BABY BOOM." (2020).
• Gemma Derrick, E., Pei-Ying Chen, Thed van Leeuwen, Vincent Larivière, and Cassidy R. Sugimoto. "The relationship between parenting engagement and academic performance." Scientific Reports 12, no. 1 (2022): 22300.
• Allison C. Morgan, Samuel F. Way, Michael JD Hoefer, Daniel B. Larremore, Mirta Galesic, and Aaron Clauset. "The unequal impact of parenthood in academia." Science Advances 7, no. 9 (2021): eabd1996.

• A Simple Act of Defiance Can Improve Science for Women
• Researcher parents are paying a high price for conference travel — here’s how to fix it (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01571-x)
• Lindsey Smith Taillie “​​Being a parent is a hidden scientific superpower — here’s why” Nature (2024)
• Kendall Powell “The parenting penalties faced by scientist mothers”
• Cecilie Steenbuch Traberg “I had three children during my PhD: here’s what I learnt” Nature (2024)

Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod .

If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

There is no doubt that AI has thrown a lot of our conceptions of science—or at least how we work in and with science—up in the air. Digital Science has written a report about it: “Research Transformation: Change in the Era of AI, open and Impact: voices from the Academic Community.” We invited two of the authors, Suze Kundu and Simon Porter, on the podcast to chat about where this transformation leaves EDI and minorities.

We explore the evolving landscape of research practices, the importance of open research, and the need for metrics that reflect inclusivity and holistic impact. The conversation also addresses the challenges of trust and security for minority groups in research, emphasising the need for collaboration and a shift in measuring research success.

But we also wanted to push them on the challenges in research transformation, particularly focusing on data sharing, trust-building with communities, the role of AI, and the importance of upskilling researchers. While we perhaps can’t avoid this transformation—it can happen in a number of different ways—we must pay attention to who pays the price.

You can read the report at: http://www.digital-science.com/academic-research-transformation?utm_source=external&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=academic_research_transformation&utm_term=digitalsci

Or watch a short video presenting the report here: https://youtu.be/ZSxKTDZHwuQ?feature=shared

You can follow Suze here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzekundu/

You can follow Simon here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-porter-9828471/

The episode is sponsored by Digital Science

The episode is edited and produced by Peter Xiong.

Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod .

If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.