Open Science, Health Data and Epistemic Harms: A Multidisciplinary Reflection

Tatenda Chatikobo; Frances Griffiths; Nikita Hayden; Gary Leeming; Ankita Mishra; Eva  Morris; Luca Schirru; Nathanael Sheehan; Andrew Williams; Sharifah Sekalala

doi:10.5334/dsj-2026-015

Open Science, Health Data and Epistemic Harms: A Multidisciplinary Reflection

Tatenda Chatikobo^*
, Frances Griffiths
, Nikita Hayden
, Gary Leeming
, Ankita Mishra
, Eva Morris
, Luca Schirru
, Nathanael Sheehan
, Andrew Williams
, Sharifah Sekalala

^*Corresponding author for this work

Education and Social Justice

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Open Science (OS) promises to democratise knowledge and reduce epistemic inequalities. However, a critical analysis reveals the potential of OS to amplify structural vulnerabilities, especially for people and communities already at the margins. With a particular focus on health data, this interdisciplinary essay examines how OS infrastructures perpetuate epistemic harms through the dominance of Eurocentric knowledge norms, legal regimes and corporate capture. Amidst the rapidly evolving health and data landscape, realising the social justice potential of OS, especially in healthcare, demands moving beyond techno-optimism to approaches that centre plural epistemologies, relational accountability and community empowerment.

Original language	English
Article number	15
Number of pages	9
Journal	Data Science Journal
Volume	25
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2026-015
Publication status	Published - 10 Apr 2026

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AU - Hayden, Nikita

AU - Leeming, Gary

AU - Mishra, Ankita

AU - Morris, Eva

AU - Schirru, Luca

AU - Sheehan, Nathanael

AU - Williams, Andrew

AU - Sekalala, Sharifah

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AB - Open Science (OS) promises to democratise knowledge and reduce epistemic inequalities. However, a critical analysis reveals the potential of OS to amplify structural vulnerabilities, especially for people and communities already at the margins. With a particular focus on health data, this interdisciplinary essay examines how OS infrastructures perpetuate epistemic harms through the dominance of Eurocentric knowledge norms, legal regimes and corporate capture. Amidst the rapidly evolving health and data landscape, realising the social justice potential of OS, especially in healthcare, demands moving beyond techno-optimism to approaches that centre plural epistemologies, relational accountability and community empowerment.

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Open Science, Health Data and Epistemic Harms: A Multidisciplinary Reflection

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