The growing relevance of Open Science requires economic researchers to adapt their working methods and publication channels (Allen & Mehler, 2019; McKiernan et al., 2016; Mirowski, 2018; Spellman et al., 2017). In addition to the need for increased transparency and collaboration, research data management in particular plays a crucial role. Large funding organisations in Germany increasingly demand detailed information on research data management and more and more expect general access to research data after project completion. At the same time, the increasing importance of Open Science implies a shift in research culture towards more openness and cooperation (Allen & Mehler, 2019; McKiernan et al., 2016; Mirowski, 2018; Spellman et al., 2017).

Against this background, the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (www.zbw.eu) has set itself the goal of assuming the role of an important partner and service provider in the field of Open Science for economic research. Our concern is that economic researchers in Germany appreciate and recognise the efforts and commitment of the ZBW to Open Science. But ZBW is aware that the topic of Open Science is not yet fully anchored in the mainstream of economic research. Therefore, the communication department of the ZBW sees it as their task to explain Open Science in all its facets and to raise awareness of it as an important topic. They want to present it as a science policy challenge but also as a logical element of good scientific practice. The aim is to create understanding for ZBW’s activities, see the following sections.

The direct target group of our communication work are people working in economics (economics, business studies and other business-related subjects) at universities, universities of applied sciences and non-university research institutions nationwide. The spectrum ranges from research assistants and doctoral students to professors with many years of research experience.

The number of university staff in the economic sciences is 40,143 [source Destatis, 2020]. 37 percent of these persons are employed at universities, 63 percent at universities of applied sciences. [Statistisches Bundesamt. (2021). Personal an Hochschulen: Fachserie 11 edition 4.4.].

Multipliers or indirect target groups are, professional associations such as the German Economic Association (VfS) and the German Academic Association for Business Research (VHB), because these organisations can use various approaches to better introduce the topic of Open Science to their members (for example, via regular workshops and training courses, information materials, webinars, lectures, integration into existing events or discussion forums). On the other hand, the communication department of the ZBW addresses local Open Science centres, platforms or training providers, Open Access officers and local academic libraries and information institutions, which are also committed to Open Science support, as multipliers.

Prior to the start of the communication activities, an Open Science Study 2019, which we conducted together with scientific partners (available at: https://www.econstor.eu/handle/10419/222882), provided insights into the concrete support needs of economic researchers with regard to Open Science. This Open Science Study 2019 formed the basis for the impact-oriented communication work.

The analysis of the data makes it clear that the majority of the scientists surveyed have a pronounced need for information and support in the area of Open Science. Above all, researchers would like an overview of relevant platforms, tools and applications that support Open Science practices. Other key topics include better access to open research data, Open Access publishing and legal aspects of Open Science. In addition, there was particular interest in the experiences of other researchers with Open Science. Furthermore, there was a desire for support services that are flexible and accessible around the clock.

ZBW’s communication strategy aims to raise awareness of Open Science in economics and to motivate researchers to implement the principles of Open Science in their research practice. In doing so, the communication department focuses on benefit-oriented communication based on the specific needs and interests of economic researchers.

In order to reach economic researchers, ZBW addresses the following central questions in its communication:

The strategy is based on content marketing and impact-oriented communication to generate attention for the ZBW brand and its services in the field of Open Science. However, the communication department of ZBW does not merely want to advertise services, but rather establish a dialogue and create an established and long term relationship with its users.

To achieve this, the PR team consistently focuses on the perspective of economic researchers. The communication content is designed to satisfy concrete, functional and emotional needs, i.e. to provide a “benefit” to the economic researcher. By providing information and content that helps them to make their research more effectively, improve their career opportunities and fulfil their social responsibilities, the communication department aims to communicate the value and relevance of Open Science to economic researchers and motivate them to actively engage in Open Science.

These findings laid the foundation for ZBW’s impact-oriented communication work. They showed in the preparation phase that ZBW’s information and support services should be intensified in the areas that are important to researchers. In detail, this meant:

The ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics strives to be a significant partner and service provider for economic researchers in the field of Open Science. The goal is to have their efforts and commitment to Open Science valued and recognised by the economics community in Germany.

Measurable impact indicators that guide the communication work are therefore the following:

The communication campaign is based on a cross-media communication strategy with a focus on digital communication and content marketing. The central content hub is the Open Science magazine (https://open-science-future.zbw.eu/en/).

Here, the communication department regularly publishes content tailored to the needs and interests of economic researchers. The target group receives best practice experiences from other economists, worksheets with concrete tips and advice, background information on current Open Science developments, news from the economic consortia of the National Research Data Infrastructure and interviews with inspiring transformation ideas via the podcast “The Future is Open Science” (https://podcast.zbw.eu/fos/) (German).

With this content, the ZBW is responding directly to the to the needs for support that became apparent in the Open Science study since 2019.

For distribution, the communication department relies heavily on direct communication via email newsletters and above all on social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube for podcast content). They use newsletters and email campaigns to deepen specific themes.

In disseminating the content, the ZBW relies on multipliers from economic science associations, libraries, graduate colleges, faculties, student councils or communication experts in economic research institutes. Beyond that, ZBW also works closely with other institutions, professional associations, research organisations and Open Science centres and platforms to organise joint events or panels, create joint content and spread the message of Open Science in the economic research community.

In addition to the central content hub “Open Science Magazine”, there have also been international Open Science Retreats since 2021, i.e. small discussion groups in which economic researchers can exchange ideas with other actors from the scientific community on specific individual topics in a limited group of max. 30 people. Previous topics have been “Sustainable and reliable Open Science Infrastructures and Tools”, “Impact of Global Crises on the Open Science Movement”, “Economic actors in the context of Open Science – The role of the private sector in the field of Open Science” or “Reform on Research Assessment in the context of Open Science”.

In 2023, an Open Science Meet Up was held for the first time. This was a form of work in which economic researchers who are already interested in and committed to Open Science meet and jointly develop a concrete agenda on how they, together with, the ZBW, can bring Open Science into the mainstream of economics. After the kick-off meeting in April 2023 in Berlin, further meetings will take place to work on specific sub-topics such as education or culture. The second Open Science Meet Up took place in October 2023. The topic was Open Science Education in Economics.

The analysis of Open Science practices in economics research in 2019 paints a multi-faceted picture of the state of Open Science in economics. While both research funders and leading journals increasingly call for the disclosure of data and code, implementation in practice is still inconsistent. Despite the rising discourse around Open Science and the increasing integration of Open Science practices in Collaborative Research Centres and Research Training Groups, there is a discernible difference between the attributed importance and the actual use of Open Science services.

However, it is worth noting that over three quarters of respondents attribute a major future role to Open Science. This indicates a growing awareness and willingness to use these practices, especially among younger researchers. Indeed, the data show that research assistants show a greater interest in Open Science than professors. They thus represent a “young avant-garde” that shows both an awareness of the need for future-oriented scientific skills and a willingness to change the science system.¹

How were the activities of the ZBW perceived with the impact analysis? The survey on awareness and perception of the Open Science services of the ZBW revealed a multi-layered picture. Among the 319 people who were both familiar with the ZBW and saw Open Science as relevant to their work, the majority expected the ZBW to provide support in various areas. In detail:

Question: What services do you think the ZBW offers in the area of Open Science? For each service, please indicate whether you believe or expect that the ZBW offers it.

Although only a small percentage of respondents were certain that the ZBW provides specific services, many seemed to assume that the ZBW provides support in finding economics research data, in preparing Open Access publications, in providing information and guidelines on Open Science practices, and in organising subject-specific training and workshops.

In addition, about a quarter of the respondents (24,4%) attributed a high level of competence to the ZBW in relation to Open Science (Question was: Do you experience the ZBW as an organisation with a high level of Open Science competence?). Interestingly, certain subgroups in particular, such as economics professors at universities (48%) and business studies professors at universities of applied sciences (35%), saw the ZBW as particularly competent in matters of Open Science. However, this view was shared less by academic staff. Of the academic staff, only 22% said they considered the ZBW to be highly competent in the field of Open Science.

The respondents were also asked about their perception of further activities of the ZBW. The question was: What additional areas do you think the ZBW is involved in? There was a choice of several answers: The ZBW… makes sure that as many research articles as possible are available in Open Access / … promotes the Open Science movement in terms of science policy and through concrete offers / … promotes networking among (young) scientists (e.g. at Open Science conferences, Open Science retreats / … conducts its own application-oriented research / … is committed to the transfer of knowledge from economic research to economic policy.

The majority expects the ZBW to promote the Open Science movement in science policy and to work towards making as many research articles as possible openly accessible. With regard to the importance of the ZBW’s Open Science commitment to economic research, 72,5% of respondents agreed that this commitment is important. The question was: How important do you think it is for an organisation like the ZBW to advocate for the opening up of science?

In particular, research assistants in economics (83%) and professors at universities of applied sciences (81%) shared this view. Furthermore, 18,7% of respondents said “partly/partially”. Only 8,9% of all respondents said that it is not important to them that the ZBW promotes Open Science.

Despite the potential relevance of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) for research work, the commitment of the ZBW to the development of the NFDI is unknown to the majority of respondents (83,6%) (The question was: Have you heard about this NFDI project or the consortia BERD or KonsortSWD?). This is not surprising, since the NFDI as a whole is known to very few people in Germany. Only just under 9% of respondents are aware of the ZBW’s involvement in the NFDI.

In summary, the impact analysis shows clear indications of a positive perception of the ZBW with regard to its Open Science activities and services. The ZBW is seen by many respondents as important and competent in the field of Open Science. These findings are crucial for effective communication work, as they show that the messages and values that the ZBW is trying to convey are perceived and appreciated by the target group.

However, there are also areas where improvements are possible and necessary. In particular, the awareness of specific services provided by the ZBW and its commitment to the NFDI could be increased. Furthermore, the results show differences between different groups of economic researchers, suggesting that more target group-specific communication measures could be helpful.

In terms of the interim evaluation of a communication campaign, these results are promising. The communication goals – image building, reputation and positioning the ZBW as an Open Science partner – seem to have been achieved, indicating the success of the efforts so far. However, it is important to continue this work and adapt it as necessary to further raise awareness of the specific services offered by the ZBW and its commitment to the NFDI, and to reach out more effectively to the different groups of economic researchers.

Ultimately, it is important to remember that communication work is a continuous process. The results of this survey offer valuable insights and directions on how the ZBW can further improve its communication efforts to better reach its target groups and further strengthen its commitment to Open Science.

The results of the impact analysis open up several strategic directions for the future communication work of the ZBW. The results of the impact analysis described above suggest a critical reflection on our own communication activities, which are summarised here as a consequence and discussion. Based on the findings, the following measures should be considered in the future:

In the course of our research and the resulting communications work, we have gained valuable insights that may be of interest to colleagues in other libraries in the field of public relations:

By incorporating these recommendations into our future communications projects, we can significantly increase the effectiveness of our efforts. We hope that other library PR departments will find these learnings useful for their future campaigns.