Bottom-up approach (to Open Scholarship)

Last updated on Feb 19, 2026
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Definition: Within academic culture, an approach focusing on the intrinsic interest of academics to improve the quality of research and research culture, for instance by making it supportive, collaborative, creative and inclusive. Usually indicates leadership from early-career researchers acting as the changemakers driving shifts and change in scientific methodology through enthusiasm and innovation, compared to a “top-down” approach initiated by more senior researchers. “Bottom-up approaches take into account the specific local circumstances of the case itself, often using empirical data, lived experience, personal accounts, and circumstances as the starting point for developing policy solutions.”

Related terms: Early Career Researchers (ECRs), Grassroot initiatives

References:

  • Button, K. S., Lawrence, N. S., Chambers, C. D., & MunafĂČ, M. R. (2016). Instilling scientific rigour at the grassroots. Psychologist, 29(3), 158–159.
  • Button, K. S., Chambers, C. D., Lawrence, N., & MunafĂČ, M. R. (2020). Grassroots training for reproducible science: a consortium-based approach to the empirical dissertation. Psychology Learning & Teaching, 19(1), 77–90. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475725719857659
  • Hart, D. D., & Silka, L. (2020). Rebuilding the Ivory Tower: A Bottom-Up Experiment in Aligning Research with Societal Needs. Issues in Science and Technology, 79–85. Retrieved from https://issues.org/aligning-research-with-societal-needs/
  • Meslin, E. M. (2009). Achieving global justice in health through global research ethics: supplementing Macklin’s ‘top-down’ approach with one from the ‘ground up’. In R. M. Green, A. Donovan, & S. A. Jauss (Eds.), Global Bioethics: Issues of Conscience for the Twenty-First Century (pp. 163–177). University Press.
  • Moran, H., Karlin, L., Lauchlan, E., Rappaport, S. J., Bleasdale, B., Wild, L., & Dorr, J. (2020). Understanding Research Culture: What researchers think about the culture they work in. Wellcome Open Research, 5, 201. https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15832.1
  • Nosek, B. A. (2019). Strategy for Culture Change. Center for Open Science. https://www.cos.io/blog/strategy-for-culture-change

Drafted and Reviewed by: Catherine Laverty, Helena Hartmann, Michele C. Lim, Adam Parker, Charlotte R. Pennington, Birgit Schmidt, Marta Topor, FlĂĄvio Azevedo