Motivation | Session information | Submission requirements | Session chairs

     The practice of science undergoes constant evolution. As discoveries are made, technologies developed, and data generated, new approaches for conducting science arise and flourish. In recent years, computing has drastically changed our ability to produce and analyze data, with implications for the ways in which we store knowledge and communicate about science. Open source software, public databases, open data standards, and Open Access publishing are now all indispensable to conducting research in the biomedical sciences. Looking forward, we can imagine a world in which research and data are fully open; where there are no barriers preventing the use and re-use of data for new purposes. This vision of 'Open Science' is within reach, but significant technical and cultural barriers remain.

     Through the efforts of pioneering individuals, we are seeing a glimmer of what is possible. Open Notebook Science, public lab wikis, and a few online services provide inspiration, proof-of-principle, and infrastructure. Yet to fully realize the potential of Open Science, we need not only a fundamental shift in how science is practiced, but the rigorous development and testing of tools, standards, and frameworks enabling its practice. This workshop will serve as one of the first focused venues for evaluating existing tools, assessing socio-cultural ramifications, and envisioning the future of Open Science.

The 3 hour workshop will consist of invited talks and demos, accepted proposals, and a panel discussion covering the following areas:

• Tools and resources for facilitating Open Science
• Approaches towards Open Science
• Socio-cultural aspects of Open Science

     Through this workshop, we hope to address many questions which include, but are not limited to, the following: What tools and resources exist for practicing Open Science? How have these tools and resources been used and how effective are they? How can open exchange standards, data repositories, lab notebooks, and publishing benefit scientific research and what is being done to facilitate their development? What are the current barriers - technological, social, or otherwise - to making the practice of Open Science more widespread and what are the potential solutions? Where do we go from here?

     We encourage anyone with an interest in Open Science to attend and join us in exploring these issues. We also invite you to submit proposals for talks and posters (see the submission requirements below). Slots for talks are limited and we would encourage you to make an informal query as soon as possible if you would like to present. Note that talks presented at this workshop will NOT be published in the conference proceedings (which are indexed on PubMed), although informal proceedings or abstracts will be made available. We will strive to make the workshop and auxiliary material available online as much as is possible.

     Researchers wishing to present a talk or a demo are encouraged to submit a 1-2 page proposal in PDF format outlining the content and context of the presentation, including relevant URLs. Those wishing to present a poster may submit a 1 page abstract also in PDF format. Please name your PDF file with the last name of the first author. All submissions should be emailed to c.neylon @ rl.ac.uk.

Due to the limited space available for presenters, we request initial proposals for talks by June 1. We also request initial abstracts for posters by September 12. Note that final talk abstracts are not due until November 3, and final poster abstracts are not due until November 7.

Importantly, please note that accepted speakers are required to register and pay by the early deadline of September 19. While the conference may provide some travel support, we do not have any direct funding for this workshop. Where appropriate, we will provide letters of support for local funding applications for selected speakers and poster presenters.

Important dates:

Initial talk proposals due: June 1, 2008
Notification of talk acceptance: June 10, 2008
Initial poster abstracts due: September 12, 2008
Conference registration opens : August 1, 2008
Travel support application deadline: August 26, 2008
Registration deadline for accepted speakers: September 19, 2008
Final (camera-ready) talk abstracts due: November 3, 2008
Final poster abstracts due: November 7, 2008
Meeting: January 5-9, 2009