Open Science and information literacy: case study at a research center

Introduction – The Recommendations for Higher Education Libraries in Portugal are published in 2016. To build a relationship of trust and partnership between libraries, their professionals and researchers were one of their prerogatives. Both have acquired skills in supporting research, publication, and dissemination. In the same year, the Applied Psychology Research Center Capabilities & Inclusion Research Unit (APPsyCI) decided to incorporate, in all its areas of activity, a research line within Open Science articulated with information literacy. Methods – The APPsyCI has implemented the Open Science assumptions through several actions: repository management, teacher and researcher training, support for choosing the journals where to publish, dissemination, and promotion of scientific knowledge within FAIR principles. Results – Investment in main areas: Open Science and innovation in research; civic engagement and educational development; information literacy in higher education, where the study and application of academic and information skills based on the Open Science principles translate into a collaborative and transparent dissemination strategy, enhancing knowledge transfer and its practical use for the benefit of people and society. The social impact of the research line provides some light on the national landscape for research innovation and broadens horizons and sheds when combining information literacy with Open Science. The cross-sectional nature of this has resulted in a set of national networks and working groups; a postgraduate course in Health Literacy; the first Portuguese-language ebook published in Portugal on information literacy in higher education; workshops, seminars, and webinars were carried out in information literacy; collaboration on the Open Science Training Handbook translation to the Portuguese language; participation of the team members in national (APBAD, APDIS) and international scientific committees (ConfOA, EAHIL, ECIL, TEEM). Similarly, this work already has main outcomes: articles, book chapters, proceedings paper, among others. In the near future, the research line aims to: encourage researchers to join the Open Science movement; increase effective partnerships between researchers, information professionals, librarians, science managers, institutions, and funding agencies; invest in information professionals skills development, data management, and creativity (postgraduate course in information literacy – work in progress); play special attention to specific projects and specific social implementations of information literacy and Open Science. Conclusions – The creation of this research line within APPsyCI shows that the association of Open Science with information literacy can be considered as the path and objective (middle and end) of applied research. This is, therefore, a civic and scientific commitment to educational and investigative development; this embraces the challenges that have reconfigured the teaching/learning and science dynamics in higher education.