NETWORKS OF PRACTICE AROUND OPEN SCIENCE: A CASE STUDY ON THE HOUSE OF NATURAL FIBER FOUNDATION IN YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA

Abstract

Open science is a burgeoning concept and practice that promotes the production of scientific knowledge in a way that is accessible, transparent, and inclusive; in this sense, it is relevant to development studies. The house of Natural Fiber Foundation has been involving the practice of science, as well as art and other creative endeavors, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia since 1999. In the process, the House of Natural Fiber Foundation has created a cosmopolitan network of participants and collaborators, which has implemented various interdisciplinary projects and events between formal and informal institutions of science. This thesis assesses this network’s diversity and its views on openness, collaboration, science, and community development. There is a profound gap in research regarding open science communities in Asia, much less Indonesia, and the work of these communities is critical for understanding the potential for international development efforts both locally and internationally. Through a combination of participant observation, textual and web analysis, key informant interviews, and survey questionnaires, this research found that the community of practice around open science in Yogyakarta has the potential to represent a model for community development.