Overcoming Challenges to Open Research Practices – A Perspective From the Global South: A Commentary on “(Why) Are Open Research Practices the Future for the Study of Language Learning?”

Abstract

In the last few years, open research practices have grown in interest and uptake in many scientific domains. Vincente-Saez and Martinez-Fuentes ( 2018) saw open research as irreversible, impacting all scientific activities and processes. The benefits of open research are being explored and established through the support of researchers, research institutions, and international organizations. In language research, and the study of language learning in particular, open research practices involve making research methods, data, and findings transparent, accessible, and reproducible through such practices as preregistration, open data, open access publishing, and sharing research materials (Frankenhuis & Nettle, 2018; Mertzen et al., 2020). These practices aim to increase the rigor and transparency of research, to enhance collaboration, CRediT author statement -Elisha Chiware: conceptualization (equal); writing -original draft preparation (equal); writing -review & editing (equal). Lara Skelly: conceptualization (equal); writing -original draft preparation (equal); writing -review & editing (equal).

Open Access in Language Testing and Assessment: The Case of Two Flagship Journals

“…As reviewed earlier, many leading journals in the field adopt the hybrid OA model with costly APCs. This financial impediment, often referred to as the "pay-to-say" barrier (Šimukovič, 2018;Piron, 2018), places scholars from under-resourced backgrounds or institutions at a particular disadvantage (Chiware & Skelly, 2023). Granted, there have been some initiatives aiming to alleviate such inequities.…”