Experiencing open access: a role-play approach to practical learning

At Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), library apprentices took part in a role-play designed to simulate the full publication process of a scholarly article, from data collection to repository deposit. The focus was on open access and open research data, conveyed through realistic scenarios and role exchanges. The library apprentices acted as a BFH research team, while library colleagues assumed roles such as publisher, peer reviewer and open access advisor. The format made open access licences, data archiving and publisher communication tangible. With a custom-designed workbook and situational elements such as simulated article processing charge payments, key challenges and procedural steps became accessible. By simulating scientific research work using known data and subsequently publishing the manuscript, as well as working with realistic roles and different people embodying these roles, the apprentices gained comprehensive insight into the topics of open access and open data within a single day. The role-play has proven to be a highly effective format, not only for teaching open access and open research data, but for experiencing them collaboratively and allowing sufficient scope for spontaneous discussions and suitable learning sessions that respond to the participants’ individual questions.