Why are the "rich" in open science getting richer? Reflections on structural inequities and knowledge production

Multiple forms of inequities exist in higher education and research institutions, traditionally regarded as the centers of knowledge production. Despite various reform efforts, generally under the guise of equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives, stark inequities in knowledge production systems persist, both within and across institutions. The intersecting racial, epistemic, gender, class, and many other institutional biases are encoded into daily practices and in critical knowledge infrastructure and remain largely invisible. These norms and standards are seldom questioned and are often presented as neutral and universal. Open science or open scholarship practices, far from reducing the inequities in the participation and in the benefits of research, may run the risk of amplifying and consolidating the existing power hierarchy and dominance of the already powerful institutions and actors. This talk calls for inward reflection of how institutional racism and colonial legacy continue to structure and govern knowledge practices and ways of knowing and argue for justice-centered redesign of knowledge infrastructures that center historically marginalized communities and systems of knowledge.