Here we show the Open Team Science Method in a form of self-checklist. This is the most important output of our project.
This is a checklist for research experts and practitioners, particularly for those who get bewildered with the aforementioned asymmetries among actors.
This should not be used for external evaluation because perceptions and interpretations may differ by context.

• Is our project inclusive (anyone can join & leave at any time)?
• Do we empower and encourage marginalized (or “small voice”) actors to participate?
• Do we eliminate socio-economic inequities?

The first and most important checkpoint is ethical equity as it is often overlooked. Projects should be inclusive. Anyone can join and anyone can leave at any time. This enables flexible scaling and actions. We should empower and encourage marginalized or small voice actors to participate. And we should eliminate any socio-economic inequities identified.

• Do we guarantee transparency of the process of research through visualizing and sharing them widely?
• Traceability and synchronousness may build and warrant trust.

The second checkpoint is visualization and transparency of the process of research. We should guarantee transparency through visualizing and sharing them publicly. Action research is one-time social experiment and can NEVER undo results. Therefore, traceability to track back the process is particularly important. Also, physical distancing in the COVID-19 pandemic lessened the importance of synchronousness to keep actors updated with ongoing processes. Traceability and synchronousness may build and warrant trust.

• Do we facilitate mutual conversation to understand other views and conditions?

The third point is dialogue and synlogue. Dialogue is a mutual conversation to understand other views and conditions. Synlogue is a variant of dialogue particularly in Asian contexts. In a synlogue, another speaker seamlessly succeeds over the speech of the first speaker, just like renga(連歌) a style of traditional Japanese linked verse. We hypothesized that Synlogue enabled actions without explicit consensus among actors. In our hypothesis dialogue or synlogue may serve for building trust among participants.

• Do we build a platform to perceive and share problems from multiple viewpoints? Multipaths are allowed.

The fourth point is transcend, a term derived from Johan Galtung’s irenology to dissolve international conflicts. In case we face difficulties to work together with actors X and Y with different values and thoughts, we should seek and build a platform Z to perceive and share problems with multiple viewpoints. Multipaths are allowed to reach the platform.

How to cite

RIHN Open Team Science Project (2021) Open Team Science Method. https://openteamscience.jp/en/method/