African Open Science Platform
- 1. AOSP: African Open Science Platform Project Prof Joseph Muliaro Wafula Chair, Technical Advisory Board-AOSP 1
- 2. Africa, Data and Open Science 21st century is the century of data. Data skills and infrastructure will be essential for economic advancement and for sustainable development. We need to create a ‘world that counts’ that gathers data and uses data to understand itself. There is need for developing data skills and infrastructure in Africa African universities have an essential role to play as stewards of the data created by African research. The data from many research projects conducted in Africa is not looked after in African institutions. African institutions need to present their research outputs, including data, as a shop window and a record of their activities, achievements, impact. 2 2
- 3. Open Science What is Open Science: Open access to research literature. Data that is as Open as possible, as closed as necessary. FAIR Data (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) A shop window and repository of all research outputs. A culture and methodology of open discussion and enquiry (including methodology, lab notebooks, pre-prints) Research data is evidence: key for validity and reproducibility of science. Those research disciplines that have leapt forward in the past 15-20 years have shared and analysed data African research institutions require data specialisation and FAIR data collections. 3
- 4. The Case for Open Data in a Big Data World • Science International Accord on Open Data in a Big Data World: http://www.science-international.org/ • data should be: Open by default Intelligently open. • Lays out a framework of principles, responsibilities and enabling practices for how the vision of Open Data in a Big Data World can be achieved. • Campaign for endorsements: over 100 organisations so far. Please consider endorsing the Accord. • Translations: Chinese, Russian, Polish, Spanish, French. 4
- 5. Opportunities for Research Institutions Open and FAIR Research Data Presents Major Opportunities for Universities Supporting researchers’ use of data is a key strategic mission and enabler: world class research environment includes support for data stewardship. Development of significant data collections of research intensive universities. Leading departments / research groups will be characterised by excellence in data, by Open FAIR data collections. The way in which the contribution to research of both the individual researcher and the institution will increasingly be measured on the basis of data outputs as well as research articles. Policies less and less ambiguous – data stewardship, RDM is necessary for grant funding success. Avoid reputational damage through data loss. 5
- 6. African Open Science Platform- OASP • AOSP is intended to provide a coordinating ‘Platform’ to support development of Open Science in Africa. • OSP is a Pilot project resulting from the Open Data Accord. • AOSP is funded by DST / NRF for African-wide initiative. • It’s a 3 year pilot started in Dec 2016 with scoping workshop. • ASSAf is the key implementer of AOSP. 6
- 7. African Open Science Platform- OASP • AAU is a key partner. Build partnership with RUFORUM and UbuntuNet and others. • High-level advisory council, chaired by Khotso Mokhele, special advisor to Minister Pandor, South Africa. • Ismail Serageldin (founding director of the Library of Alexandria) • Ogunlade Davidson (former minister of Electricity and Water Resources, Sierra Leone) • Heide Hackmann (Executive Director, International Council for Science) • Meetings of National Data Forums in Botswana, Madagascar and other countries. 7
- 8. Establish African Open Data Platform Funded Research Data Infrastructure Initiatives Funded, co-designed transdisciplinary research projects Co-design African Open Data Policies Develop Incentives Frameworks Develop Research Data Science Training African Research Data Infrastructure Roadmap Activities require low funding for coordination, secondment, contributions in kind and evaluation. Activities require higher investment for coordination, co-design implemenatation and evaluation. African Open Science Platform Pilot Project Workpackages 8
- 9. JORD Policy JKUAT with the technical assistance of CODATA, developed and implemented an open research data policy (JORD) Policy (February 2016) JORD expected benefits include 1. ROI 2. Encouragement of diverse studies and opinion 3. Promotion of new areas of work not envisioned by the initial investigators. 4. Strengthen the credibility of scholarly publications 5. Development of new products and services 6. Support iCEOD open data platform 9
- 10. Open data implementation best practices • Support research • Ensure easy to understand content & formatting • Release high-value and high-impact data first • Ensure compatibility and interoperability of systems (Kenya Health sector DHARC project –USAID/JKUAT) • Establish data ownership • Involve stakeholders • Plan for open data advocacy • Implement interaction and feedback mechanism • Build communities of data producers and users • Organize training programs • Organize hackathons( eg CODATA, JAPAN ai AFRICA Project, IBM, JKUAT, USAID have sponsored hackathon on Agriculture and Health sector open data to promote innovations and data use in Kenya) 10
- 11. Thank you! 11
Editor's Notes
- #9: We are experiencing a