Políticas de acesso aberto à informação científica: uma análise contrastiva entre Estados Unidos, Portugal e Brasil

Abstract

The main objective of this research is to identify and analyze the structuring elements of open access and open science policies in the United States, Portugal and Brazil with a view to proposing a theoretical model for the establishment of a national open science policy in the Brazilian scenario. It is a qualitative interpretative research, of an applied nature with descriptive and explanatory objectives. The cross-case study is here used as an investigation method through literature review, documentary research and interviews with specialists. Contextually, this work describes the broad domain of application of public policies and information policies. It presents elements of open science and the obstacles imposed by the intense mechanism of commodification of knowledge. Our research traces chronological descriptions that marked the political culture of the three countries investigated by exploring aspects related to social data, degree of democracy and citizenship, which, to some extent, influence the expansion of access to knowledge. It indicates the panorama of open access and perspectives for open science in the three countries, and characterizes the initial framework and the main open science actions. It analyzes conditioning of political, social, technical, technological and economic matters related to open access policies and the elements that support them. It assesses the prospects for a science open to all people through fair and equal access to knowledge and also proposes a theoretical model naming five policies as the main contribution in order to structure a national open science policy. It identifies the main actors involved in the opening of science and suggests some guidelines for the main political agents involved in the process. The results indicate that the openness of science is not restricted to the scientific field, it cuts across other fields, among which, the social, economic, cultural, technical and technological fields. The policies that guide and regulate open science are guided by the country's socio-cultural context and their effectiveness depends on the governance of information resources networking with the engagement of different political and social actors. The government and funding agencies are essential to consider structural measures involving educational policies, digital inclusion and access to information. It is concluded that in the United States there is a strong involvement of political and social actors in open science actions with various initiatives that involve access to publications and data from research, open education and citizen science. Portugal presents a consolidated structure for open access to publications. This country has the support of social and political actors aligned with the policies of the European Union, and it is working towards the approval of a national open science policy. Brazil presents advances in issues of access to publications. It went on to develop open science initiatives as a state policy in 2018, but it still does not have a specific policy. There is a lack of guidelines for the work of the funding agencies, universities and research institutions in Brazil. We could see that a national open science policy, with a focus on providing fair, democratic and equal access to information resources, requires integration with economic, educational, social and cultural policies.