The Launch of USP's Guia para Ciência Aberta: A Milestone for Brazilian Academia

The Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil's premier public university, has recently unveiled the first edition of its Guia para Ciência Aberta (Guide to Open Science). Developed by the Working Group on Open Science (Grupo de Trabalho de Ciência Aberta, or GT Ciência Aberta) under the Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Inovação (PRPI), this comprehensive resource aims to equip the academic community with practical orientations for embracing open science practices. Released just days ago, the guide marks a significant step in promoting transparency, collaboration, and accessibility in research production at one of Latin America's leading institutions.

Open science, known as ciência aberta in Portuguese, encompasses a global movement to make scientific knowledge freely available, reproducible, and inclusive. At USP, this initiative aligns with broader efforts to democratize research outputs, fostering greater societal impact and accelerating innovation.

Understanding Open Science: Core Principles and Global Context

Open science refers to the practice of making research processes and outputs openly accessible throughout the entire research lifecycle—from planning and execution to dissemination and evaluation. Key pillars include open access to publications, open data sharing, open source code, open peer review, and citizen science engagement. This approach counters traditional barriers like paywalls and proprietary data, which have historically limited knowledge dissemination.

In Brazil, open science has gained momentum through platforms like SciELO, a pioneer in open access publishing since 1997, which now hosts over 1,300 journals and has facilitated millions of downloads annually. According to recent reports, Brazilian universities contribute significantly to global open access outputs, with more than 60% of national publications being openly available—a figure higher than many developed nations.

USP's Commitment to Open Science: Historical Initiatives

USP has long been at the forefront of open science in Brazil. The university's Ciência Aberta USP portal (cienciaaberta.usp.br) serves as a hub for resources on open access, shared infrastructure, research integrity, open data, and science-society interactions. Notable efforts include the USP Declaration of Support for Open Science and the promotion of thematic digital libraries and citizen science projects.

Prior guides, such as the one from the Instituto de Relações Internacionais (IRI-USP), laid foundational groundwork by outlining accessible strategies for researchers. The new PRPI guide builds on these, providing updated, USP-wide recommendations tailored to current challenges like data management and FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).

Key Contents of the Guia para Ciência Aberta

The guide is structured as a practical manual, featuring an introduction that emphasizes the societal foundations of knowledge production and the need for universal access. Core sections delve into essential practices:

• Open Access Publications: Guidance on depositing articles in repositories like USP's Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações (BDTD-USP) and using licenses such as Creative Commons.
• Open Research Data: Recommendations for platforms like Dados Abertos USP and adherence to international standards for data citation and preservation.
• Open Methods and Code: Step-by-step advice on preregistering studies, sharing protocols via Zenodo or GitHub, and ensuring reproducibility.
• Open Evaluation: Exploring preprints on SciELO Preprints and transparent peer review processes.

Each chapter includes checklists, resource links, and USP-specific tools, making it an actionable toolkit for students, faculty, and administrators.

The Team Behind the Guide: Expertise from PRPI's Working Group

Coordinated by PRPI, the GT Ciência Aberta comprises librarians, researchers, and innovation specialists from across USP units, including the Escola de Enfermagem and IRI. Their collaborative effort ensures the guide reflects diverse perspectives, from humanities to STEM fields. As stated in the foreword, "The GT hopes this guide serves as a vital tool for increasingly practicing open science across USP units."

This multidisciplinary input underscores USP's holistic approach, integrating library services with research policy. For academics seeking similar roles, opportunities abound in research jobs and faculty positions at leading universities.

Benefits of Adopting Open Science Practices in Brazilian Universities

Embracing open science yields multifaceted advantages. Studies show open access articles receive 47% more citations on average, boosting researchers' visibility and career prospects. In Brazil, where public funding drives most research, transparency enhances accountability and public trust.

• Increased collaboration: Shared data enables meta-analyses and faster discoveries.
• Equity: Lowers barriers for under-resourced institutions in the Global South.
• Innovation acceleration: Reusable code and datasets spur AI and interdisciplinary breakthroughs.
• Societal impact: Aligns with Brazil's national open government initiatives.

USP researchers report higher impact factors post-adoption, with examples from nutrition and engineering fields demonstrating reproducible findings leading to policy changes.

Challenges and Solutions Outlined in the Guide

Despite benefits, hurdles persist: data privacy concerns under LGPD (Brazil's GDPR equivalent), lack of incentives in evaluation systems, and technical skills gaps. The guide addresses these with step-by-step solutions:

Real-world case: A USP epidemiology project shared open datasets, enabling national collaborations during health crises.

Impact on Higher Education Careers and Research Opportunities

For aspiring professors and researchers, proficiency in open science is increasingly vital. Brazilian universities prioritize it in hiring and grants. Explore tips for academic CVs incorporating open practices, or browse university jobs in Brazil via AcademicJobs.com.

Postdocs and lecturers benefit from heightened visibility, with open profiles on ORCID linking to datasets boosting international partnerships.

Brazilian Landscape: Open Science Trends in 2026

Brazil leads Latin America in open science adoption, with federal mandates for data openness and CNPq/FAPESP funding tied to OA policies. USP's guide complements national roadmaps, like the IBICT's open science manual. Statistics from 2025 show a 25% rise in Brazilian open datasets, projected to grow further amid global pushes like UNESCO's Open Science Recommendation.

Stakeholder views: Faculty praise reproducibility gains, while administrators note cost savings from shared infrastructure.

Future Outlook: Expanding Open Science at USP and Beyond

Looking ahead, PRPI plans embaixadores (ambassadors) programs and integration into USP's research evaluation. This could inspire other Brazilian universities like Unicamp and UFRJ. Actionable insights: Start with preregistration on OSF.io, deposit data in Figshare, and track via Altmetric.

For career growth, leverage these practices in applications to postdoc positions or research assistant roles.

Photo by Laurenz Heymann on Unsplash

Conclusion: Embracing Open Science for a Collaborative Future

USP's Guia para Ciência Aberta is more than a document—it's a call to action for transformative research culture. Download it today and join the movement. Share your experiences on Rate My Professor, search higher ed jobs, or get advice from higher ed career advice at AcademicJobs.com. Together, we build a more open academia.