Open science policies as regarded by the communities of researchers from the basic sciences in the scientific periphery

PurposeThis paper explores the different open science policy effects on the knowledge generation process of researchers in basic sciences: biology, chemistry and physics.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a qualitative methodology with a content analysis approach. It uses seventeen semi-directed interviews.FindingsThe main perceived effect of open science is access to research inputs, with open access, open research data and code reuse as primary sources. Another issue is the increase of collaboration with other colleagues in terms of the ability to collaborate faster and encouraging the exchange of ideas. However, this benefit does not translate to the division of labor in large transnational teams. Time spent on tasks like cleaning up data and code, scooping and other ethical issues are unfavorable aspects noted.Practical implicationsPolicymakers could use this study to enhance current open science policies in the countries.Originality/valueThis study analyzes the perspectives of basic sciences researchers from two countries about open science policies. The main conclusion is the fact that open science policies should focus on the research process itself – rather than research outputs – in order to effectively tackle inequalities in science.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-03-2023-0135