The New Social Contract for Science: Open Science as a Mechanism for Knowledge Access and Epistemological Democratization

Abstract

The Open Science (OS) paradigm emerges as a fundamental response to the crisis of accessibility, reproducibility, and trust affecting contemporary research. This article presents a bibliographic review that conceptualizes OS not only as a set of technical practices (Open Access, Open Data) but as a socio-political movement aiming at the democratization of research and the fulfillment of the human right to participate in and benefit from scientific progress. The research focuses on the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science (2021), highlighting its pillars on equity and knowledge inclusion. The tension between the traditional profit-driven publishing model (paywall) and the vision of science as a global public good is discussed. Conclusions emphasize that implementing OS is crucial for reducing the knowledge gap between the Global North and South and for validating non-hegemonic forms of knowledge, such as Citizen Science and ancestral wisdom.