What Center for Open Science does
The Center for Open Science (COS) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2013 to increase the openness, integrity, and trustworthiness of research. COS advances “Lifecycle Open Science,” aiming to make research plans, outputs (such as data, materials, and code), and outcomes publicly accessible and linked in persistent locations so that others can assess and reuse evidence. COS pursues this goal using a systems approach spanning (1) open science infrastructure, (2) community building to make open practices normative, and (3) stakeholder engagement to make open practices rewarding and, over time, required. Its flagship software platform is the Open Science Framework (OSF), an open-source research workflow tool that supports preregistration via registration workflows, public and community-run preprint services, and linking research artifacts across tools and repositories. In addition to infrastructure, COS conducts and coordinates metascience and evidence-building work (e.g., research credibility evaluation) and provides policy and community guidance intended to strengthen adoption pathways for open research practices.