UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Libraries will host a virtual talk by global health and open access expert Natalia Norori at noon on Oct. 26 as part of the 13th annual worldwide observance of Open Access Week.
Norori’s talk, “Opening Knowledge Equitably in an Inequitable System,” will reflect on the challenges faced by early career researchers who are traditionally excluded from research due to cultural, ideological and practical barriers.
Norori is passionate about using open data as a tool to reduce health inequities. Through her research, she is exploring how to accurately represent minority groups and vulnerable communities in health care data sets to better inform public health response plans. She also is applying her knowledge of open research practices to lead research projects at the intersection of public health and social justice. Norori has a master’s degree in epidemiology from the University of Bristol, a background in medical sciences, and experience in building tools to make scientific research accessible and equitable.
Offered via Zoom, the virtual session will begin with Norori’s talk, followed by a question-and-answer session and discussion period. The event is free and open to everyone. Registration is required in order to attend.
The 2021 theme for Open Access Week is “It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity.” Open access — free, immediate online access to the results of scholarly research, and the right to use and reuse those results as needed — has the power to transform how research and scientific inquiry are conducted. Each year, Open Access Week provides an opportunity for the academic and research community to learn about and discuss the potential benefits of open access, such as how opening research inclusively can help build better research practices and facilitate the establishment of a fair and equitable system.
For more information about the event or about Penn State’s commitment to open access, contact Ally Laird, open publishing program coordinator, at alaird@psu.edu.