Open Research Practices and Cultural Change: A Commentary on “(Why) Are Open Research Practices the Future for the Study of Language Learning?”

In their article, Marsden and Morgan-Short argue that “open research is indeed a large part of our future, and most—if not all—challenges are surmountable, but doing so requires significant changes for many aspects of the research process.” We share Marsden and Morgan-Short's premise that open research practices will play an important role in the future but that many questions about how to implement them successfully are still open and need to be discussed. Taking up and extending their thoughts on the cultural embeddedness of open research practices, this commentary argues that open research can only be the future if there is a cultural change based on changes in practices. We ask why and how change can occur from a praxeological perspective.

Marsden and Morgan-Short's article identified and comprehensively reflected on the opportunities and challenges of open research. This makes it a wonderful starting point for exposing practices in science and the prevailing inequalities of the science system. Therefore, to reduce inequalities in an open research culture, researchers must continue to engage in a critical reflection and analysis of open science practices.