--- title: About | Center for Open Science --- - Our sites: - [OSF](https://osf.io) - [TOP Guidelines](https://www.cos.io/initiatives/top-guidelines?hsLang=en) - [* *Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/cos.io)[* *Mastodon](https://fosstodon.org/@CenterforOpenScience)[* *Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-open-science/)[* *YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@CenterforOpenScience) - [**  Shop](https://www.redbubble.com/people/OpenScience/shop) - [**  Donate](https://www.cos.io/support-cos?hsLang=en) [![Center for Open Science](https://www.cos.io/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/COS%202024/cos-full-tag-h.png?width=2000&height=293&name=cos-full-tag-h.png "Center for Open Science")](https://www.cos.io?hsLang=en) ** ** # About ## Our mission is to increase openness, integrity, and trustworthiness of research. ![COS Staff 2022](https://www.cos.io/hubfs/staff-photo.jpg) #### The Center for Open Science (COS) was founded in 2013 to start, scale, and sustain open research practices that will democratize access to research, improve inclusion of all stakeholders, enhance accountability to research integrity, facilitate the self-corrective process of science, expand transparency and sharing of all research content, and improve research rigor and reproducibility. To meet that objective, COS employs a systems strategy involving technology to make open practices possible and easy, community building to make open practices normative, and stakeholder engagement to make open practices rewarding and required. COS's philosophy and motivation is summarized in its [strategic plan](https://osf.io/preprints/osf/x2w9h_v2) and in scholarly articles outlining a vision of scientific utopia for [research communication](https://arxiv.org/abs/1205.1055), [practice](http://pps.sagepub.com/content/7/6/615.full), and [collaboration](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1745691619850561). ## We envision a future scholarly community in which the process, content, and outcomes of research are openly accessible by default. ![All content preserved](https://www.cos.io/hubfs/Icons/2023/icon-publish.png "All content preserved") All scholarly content is preserved, connected, and versioned to foster discovery, accumulation of evidence, and respect for uncertainty. ![Quality of service](https://www.cos.io/hubfs/Icons/2023/icon-registration.png "Quality of service") Scholarly service providers monetize and compete on quality of service rather than by controlling access to content. ![Fair evaluations by institutions](https://www.cos.io/hubfs/Icons/2023/icon-institution.png "Fair evaluations by institutions") Institutions evaluate researchers based on both the content of their discoveries and the process by which they were discovered, not on where those results are published. ![Funders ROI](https://www.cos.io/hubfs/Icons/2023/icon-funder.png "Funders ROI") Funders have full insight into the returns on their research investments for prioritizing future investments. ![Getting it right instead of getting it published](https://www.cos.io/hubfs/Icons/2023/icon-collaborate.png "Getting it right instead of getting it published") Researchers prioritize getting it right over getting it published, and will receive credit for scholarly contributions beyond the research article such as generating useful data or authoring code that can be reused by others. ![Reviewers properly recognized](https://www.cos.io/hubfs/Icons/2023/icon-user.png "Reviewers properly recognized") Reviewers provide feedback at all stages of the research lifecycle and get credit and reputation enhancement for reviewing. ![Librarian expertise in research lifecycle](https://www.cos.io/hubfs/Icons/2023/icon-collection.png "Librarian expertise in research lifecycle") Librarians apply curation and data management expertise throughout the research lifecycle, not just retrospectively. ![Direct access for all stakeholders](https://www.cos.io/hubfs/Icons/2023/icon-website.png "Direct access for all stakeholders") Consumers have direct access to review and primary evidence for scholarly claims. All stakeholders are included and respected in the research lifecycle and share pursuit of truth as the primary incentive and motivation for scholarship. ## Strategy for Culture Change ### COS’s Theory of Change recognizes that academic research is a social system, and that starting and scaling behavior change requires a systems-based intervention strategy. That means that every organization and participant in the research culture is an agent of stasis or change. And, to succeed in aligning scholarly practices with scholarly values, we must solve the coordination problem and ultimately activate everyone. But, no realistic strategy for behavior change can expect to activate everyone all at once. COS’s strategy is to catalyze innovators and early adopters as the beachhead for change in a scholarly community by providing tools to make it possible to do the new behaviors. Then, making early adopters’ behavior visible and aspirational initiates changing community norms about how science should be done. That, combined with training and ensuring that the behaviors are fit for purpose, brings the behaviors into the mainstream. To scale and sustain those emerging norms, publishers, funders, and institutions align their incentives and policies so that researchers are rewarded and ultimately required to do the behaviors. ![pyramid](https://www.cos.io/hubfs/pyramid.png) #### 5. Make it Required The [Transparency and Openness Promotion](https://www.cos.io/initiatives/top-guidelines?hsLang=en) (TOP) Guidelines provide and promote a policy framework for aligning values, incentives, and policies for journals, funders, and institutions. #### 4. Make it Rewarding Journals and funders to realign incentives with [Rigor and Transparency Initiatives](https://www.cos.io/initiatives/rti?hsLang=en) using [Registered Reports](https://www.cos.io/initiatives/registered-reports?hsLang=en), a publishing format where peer review happens prior to data collection. #### 3. Make it Normative [Grassroots organizing](https://www.cos.io/grassroots?hsLang=en) activates champions to adopt new practices and engage their community. Targeted communications such as badges make their new behaviors visible to others. #### 2. Make it Easy OSF is constantly evolving with user-centered product development to integrate into researchers' daily workflows. [Training](https://www.cos.io/services/training?hsLang=en) and customization ensures that the tools are fit-for-purpose for all kinds of research. #### 1. Make it Possible The open-source [Open Science Framework](http://osf.io) (OSF) makes it possible for researchers to improve rigor, transparency, and sharing of all their work across the research lifecycle. ## 10th Anniversary Timeline [![10th Anniversary Timeline](https://www.cos.io/hubfs/about-timeline.png)](https://www.cos.io/timeline?hsLang=en) View our history of advancing openness, integrity, and reproducibility of research. [![View Timeline](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/6723653/be7a2018-3932-4b64-b3c3-8af7c8706762.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/6723653/be7a2018-3932-4b64-b3c3-8af7c8706762) ## Explore COS ### [Team](https://www.cos.io/about/team?hsLang=en) Meet our people. ### [Board](https://www.cos.io/about/board?hsLang=en) Meet our board of directors. ### [Strategic Plan](https://www.cos.io/strategic-plan?hsLang=en) Learn more about COS's 2026-2028 strategic plan. ### [Supporters](https://www.cos.io/about/supporters?hsLang=en) Learn more about our funding from individuals, philanthropic foundations, and federal agencies. ### [News](https://www.cos.io/about/news?hsLang=en) View our press releases. ### [Impact](https://www.cos.io/impact?hsLang=en) Check out our annual Impact Reports. ### [History](https://www.cos.io/timeline?hsLang=en) View our history of advancing openness, integrity, and reproducibility of research. ### [Finances](https://www.cos.io/about/finances?hsLang=en) Learn more about how our organization operates, the impact of our efforts, our financial position, and our nonprofit status. ### [Compliance and Standards](https://www.cos.io/compliance-and-standards?hsLang=en) Find information on our trusted infrastructure, our efforts towards continuous improvement in data management, and our accredited processes. ### [Diversity, Equity & Inclusion](https://www.cos.io/about/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-at-cos?hsLang=en) See how diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to our mission and strategy. ### [Careers](https://www.cos.io/careers?hsLang=en) Explore career opportunities and learn about our fantastic work environment that empowers our team to grow as professionals and people. ![Center for Open Science](https://www.cos.io/hubfs/Logos/COS%202024/cos-full-tag-h-w.png) 6218 Georgia Avenue NW, Suite #1, Unit 3189 Washington, DC 20011 Email: [contact@cos.io](mailto:contact@cos.io) - [* *Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/cos.io) - [* *Mastodon](https://fosstodon.org/@CenterforOpenScience) - [* *Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-open-science/) - [* *YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@CenterforOpenScience) **Join our mailing list** [![Creative Commons License](https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by/4.0/88x31.png)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Unless otherwise noted, this site is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). [Translation Help](https://www.cos.io/how-to-translate?hsLang=en) | [Terms of Use](https://github.com/CenterForOpenScience/centerforopenscience.org/blob/master/TERMS_OF_USE.md) | [Privacy Policy](https://github.com/CenterForOpenScience/centerforopenscience.org/blob/master/PRIVACY_POLICY.md) - [**About**](https://www.cos.io/about) - [Team](https://www.cos.io/about/team?hsLang=en) - [Board](https://www.cos.io/about/board?hsLang=en) - [Partners](https://www.cos.io/about/partnership-framework?hsLang=en) - [News](https://www.cos.io/about/news?hsLang=en) - [Impact](https://www.cos.io/impact?hsLang=en) - [History](https://www.cos.io/timeline?hsLang=en) - [Finances](https://www.cos.io/about/finances?hsLang=en) - [Compliance and Standards](https://www.cos.io/compliance-and-standards?hsLang=en) - [Diversity, Equity & Inclusion](https://www.cos.io/about/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-at-cos?hsLang=en) - [Careers](https://www.cos.io/careers?hsLang=en) - [**Engage**](https://www.cos.io/engage?hsLang=en) - [Tools](https://www.cos.io/tools?hsLang=en) - [Training](https://www.cos.io/services/training?hsLang=en) - [Community Building](https://www.cos.io/community-building?hsLang=en) - [Policy Reform](https://www.cos.io/policy-reform?hsLang=en) - **  [Donate](https://www.cos.io/support-cos?hsLang=en) - [**Open Science**](https://www.cos.io/open-science?hsLang=en) - [Preregistration](https://www.cos.io/initiatives/prereg?hsLang=en) - [Registered Reports](https://www.cos.io/initiatives/registered-reports?hsLang=en) - [**Research**](https://www.cos.io/services/research?hsLang=en) - [SCORE](https://www.cos.io/score?hsLang=en) - [RP: Cancer Biology](https://www.cos.io/rpcb?hsLang=en) - [RP: Psychology](https://osf.io/ezcuj/wiki/home/) - [Events](https://www.cos.io/events?hsLang=en) - [Blog](https://www.cos.io/blog?hsLang=en) - [Contact](https://www.cos.io/contact-us?hsLang=en) - [Shop](https://www.redbubble.com/people/OpenScience/shop) - [OSF](https://osf.io) - [TOP Guidelines](https://www.cos.io/initiatives/top-guidelines?hsLang=en) **Responsible stewards of your support** [![Charity Navigator](https://www.cos.io/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/charity-navigator.png?width=100&name=charity-navigator.png)](https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/461496217)[![Platinum Transparency 2023](https://widgets.guidestar.org/TransparencySeal/9294495)](https://www.guidestar.org/profile/46-1496217)[![SOC 2](https://www.cos.io/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/badge-soc2.png?width=100&name=badge-soc2.png)](https://www.aicpa-cima.com/resources/landing/system-and-organization-controls-soc-suite-of-services) COS has earned top recognition from **[Charity Navigator](https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/461496217)** and **[Candid](https://www.guidestar.org/profile/46-1496217)** (formerly GuideStar) for our financial transparency and accountability to our mission. COS and the OSF were also awarded SOC2 accreditation in 2023 after an independent assessment of our security and procedures by the **[American Institute of CPAs (AICPA)](https://www.aicpa-cima.com/resources/landing/system-and-organization-controls-soc-suite-of-services)**. We invite all of our sponsors, partners, and members of the community to learn more about how our organization operates, our impact, our financial performance, and our nonprofit status. **Photo Stream** - - - - - - - - - - - -