Cultivating Open Science: a quantitative exploration of leadership practices in Malaysian academic libraries
Main Article Content
Abstract
This paper explores the characteristics of open leadership to support academic library leaders in
promoting open science. It also aims to identify the existing leadership practices related to the
implementation of open science from the viewpoint of Malaysian academic library leaders. The
research employs a quantitative approach, utilizing online surveys distributed among 50 leaders
from Malaysian public and private academic libraries. The study is anchored in the Open Leadership
Framework, encompassing three key practices: design (contextualization), build (structure and
system creation), and empower (personal leadership skills). Open leadership, viewed as a response
to technological advancements and the use of multimedia communication tools, is framed within the
principles, practices, and skills that communities can leverage to achieve shared goals. The findings
from the design principle indicate unanimous agreement among respondents on the importance of
collaboration, both internally and externally, for the success of the open science agenda, aligning
with the principles of community interactions. In the build principle, all respondents share the belief
that libraries should implement training and competence development programs, aligning with
mentoring principles. This adherence corresponds to the principles of commons-based production,
emphasizing the encouragement of publication in open-access journals, and project management,
highlighting the pivotal role of libraries in determining the university's open data repository. In the
empowerment principle, a total response of 61.5 percent under the "makes connection" principle,
emphasizes the need for collaboration between the library, the university's Information Technology
Center, and the Research Management Center to provide researcher profiles. This study not only
provides insights into the current landscape of open leadership practices among Malaysian academic
library leaders but also offers valuable implications for fostering collaboration, training initiatives,
and empowerment strategies in the realm of open science. By understanding and embracing these
principles, academic institutions and libraries can navigate the evolving scholarly environment,
effectively contributing to the advancement of open science practices.
Downloads
Article Details
It is a condition of publication that manuscripts submitted to the journal have not been published, accepted for publication, nor simultaneously submitted for publication elsewhere. By submitting a manuscript, the author(s) agree that copyright for the article is transferred to the publisher, if and when the manuscript is accepted for publication.
References
Abd Rahman, N. 2023. Malaysia Open Science Platform: Open science today for new
science tomorrow. Official Launch of University of Malaya Open Science (UMOS),
Universiti Malaya, Tuesday, 6th June 2023, Auditorium Hal Ehwal Pelajar, Kompleks
Perdana Siswa (KPS), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. Keynote Speech. Unpublished.
Abrizah, A. 2023. Open science policies and governance. Official Launch of University of
Malaya Open Science (UMOS), Universiti Malaya, Tuesday, 6th June 2023, Auditorium
Hal Ehwal Pelajar, Kompleks Perdana Siswa (KPS), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
Unpublished.
Akademi Sains Malaysia. 2023. Open science to jumpstart open innovation. Official Launch
of University of Malaya Open Science (UMOS), Universiti Malaya, Tuesday, 6th June
, Auditorium Hal Ehwal Pelajar, Kompleks Perdana Siswa (KPS), Universiti Malaya,
Kuala Lumpur. Keynote Speech. Unpublished material.
Ali-Khan, S.E., Jean, A. and Gold, E.R. 2018. Identifying the challenges in implementing
open science. MNI Open Research, Vol. 2, No. 5: 1-17. Available at
12688/mniopenres.12805.1.
Amanullah, S.W. and Abrizah, A. 2023. The landscape of research data management
services in Malaysian academic libraries: librarians’ practices and roles. The Electronic
Library, Vol. 41, No. 1: 63-86. Available at https://doiorg.
eresourcesptsl.ukm.remotexs.co/10.1108/EL-06-2022-0135
American Library Association (ALA). 2016. LLAMA foundational competencies. Available at
https://www.ala.org/llama/sites/ala.org.llama/files/content/LLAMA%20Foundational%
Competencies%20-%20White%20Paper.pdf
Ashiq, M., Rehman, S.U. and Batool, S.H. 2019. Academic library leaders’ conceptions of
library leadership in Pakistan. Malaysian Journal of Library & Information Science, Vol.
, No.2: 55-71. Available at: https://doi.org/10.22452/mjlis.vol24no2.4
Bowman, N.D. and Keene, J.R. 2018. A layered framework for considering open science
practices. Communication Research Reports, Vol. 35, No. 4: 363–372. Available at
https://doi.org/10.1080/08824096.2018.1513273.
Carpino, L., Mentkowski, A. and Nejdl, C.S. 2020. Building strategic partnerships through
collaboration between Law Libraries. AALL Spectrum, Vol. 24, No. 4:1: 6-19. Available at
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3955959.
Castille, C.M., Cobb, H.R., Siegel, J.A. and Thomas, C.L. 2022. Opening up: Tips for fostering
belongingness in our scholarly communities while encouraging open science. The
Industrial-Organizational Psychologist, Vol. 60, No. 1: 12-17.
Deketelaere, K. and Ayris P. 2019. Leadership - the key to open science success. Available at
https://www.leru.org/news/leadership-the-key-to-open-science-success
Dewey, B.I. 2019. Open leadership for a vibrant future. Portal: Libraries and the Academy
Vol. 19, No. 3: 359-364. Available at https://muse.jhu.edu/article/729191.
El Amin, M., Borders, J.C., Long, H.L., Keller, M.A. and Kearney, E. 2023. Open science
practices in communication sciences and disorders: A Survey. Journal of Speech,
Language & Hearing Research, Vol. 66, No. 6: 1928-1947. Available at
doi:10.1044/2022_JSLHR-22-00062