Open Access and Open Science: for a better science

Abstract

Open Access and Open Science are increasingly becoming mainstream issues; however, they are often misunderstood or misrepresented.

This paper is aimed both at setting the theoretical framework to correctly collocate Open Access and Open Science and at giving factual data about the current scholarly communication system, as often the main players, authors, tend to ignore them. This approach might be useful to stimulate a critical reflection on a system passively accepted as the only possible.

Actually the current scholarly communication system is somehow flawed, to put it mildly: we shall show how Open Access and Open Science logic and tools can provide alternative paths to a more effective science, which is a value for society as a whole.