Open Science

Open Science is a collective term for the adaptation of digital technologies in the science system and the associated (intended) changes in research cultures and processes. One of the basic assumptions of Open Science is that digitalisation facilitates access to scientific methods, data and publications and promotes exchange within the science system and with other subsystems (economy and society).

These developments take place in the following sub-areas of the research process in particular:

• Scientific publications (Open Access)
• Research data (Open Data)
• Methods (Open Software)
• Review/decision-making processes (Open Peer Review)
• Reputation systems (alternative metrics and incentive systems)
• Participation opportunities for non-scientists (Citizen Science)

Open Science is associated in particular with the following (science policy) expectations:

• Greater transparency (traceability) and additional quality assurance options (reproducibility) in the research process to strengthen trust in science
• Faster downstream use of research results for a more efficient science system
• More effective knowledge transfer in business and society to stimulate innovation (based on scientific knowledge)
• Involvement of non-scientists for greater social relevance and acceptance of research priorities

Open Science in EU research policy

Open Science has been an integral part of the EU's research policy since 2015 and, based on this, of funding measures in the EU Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation. As a subset of Open Science, an Open Access policy was already introduced in 2008 as a pilot measure in the 7th EU Research Framework Programme and has been successively expanded since then, for example with the Open Data pilot since 2014 in Horizon 2020.

The EU Commission is bundling its Open Science activities in the following fields of action:

• Scientific publications: Open Access to scientific publications from EU-funded projects
• Research data: Compliance with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) and Open Data exchange as a standard for the results of EU-funded research
• European Open Science Cloud (EOSC): Promotion of information infrastructures for cross-border and cross-disciplinary access and exchange of research data
• New metrics: Establishment of new indicators to measure research quality and impact
• Competences and incentive systems: Consideration of Open Science aspects in the training of researchers and the evaluation of research careers
• Citizen science: Involvement of the public or civil society in the research process (for example, through participation in the collection of research data)

Open Science in Horizon Europe

The Open Science targets in Horizon Europe are predominantly a continuation of the earlier Horizon 2020 programme. Scientific publications from EU-funded projects, in particular, are to be made openly accessible directly via suitable repositories (Open Access). To do so, the authors of these publications must ensure that they have the necessary intellectual property rights. Furthermore, only the publication costs of publishers operating exclusively in Open Access mode are eligible for reimbursement.  

As regards research data from EU-funded projects, there is an obligation to observe the FAIR principles (including the submission of corresponding data management plans) as well as to ensure Open Access to data (Open Data), albeit with opt-out mechanisms in the case of interests worthy of protection (e.g. personal data, trade secrets, etc.).

European Open Science Cloud (EOSC)

A virtual European research environment is being created with the EOSC (primarily by networking national or disciplinary information infrastructures). This includes common standards, access and participation rules and services (e.g. on metadata, PIDs, authentication), which should enable and improve cross-national and cross-disciplinary access to research results (data and other digital objects) and their reliable subsequent use. The EU Commission has been driving the development of the EOSC together with the EU Member States since 2016, both through funding measures (including the implementation of the FAIR principles and the integration of European research and information infrastructures such as ESFRI projects) under Horizon 2020, and through the establishment of a provisional governance structure.

EOSC will continue in Horizon Europe in the form of a co-programmed partnership between the EU Commission, Member States and stakeholder organisations. A legal structure (EOSC Association) for a corresponding partnership agreement with the EU Commission was established in July 2020 by interested stakeholder organisations for this purpose. The EU Member States and Associated Countries of Horizon Europe will be involved in the governance of the EOSC partnership through an external steering committee.

Open Research Europe

Open Research Europe (ORE) is an Open Access publication platform funded and managed by the European Commission for the publication of results from EU-funded projects (Horizon 2020 and/or Europe) in all scientific disciplines.

The use of Open Research Europe is not mandatory for EU-funded research projects, but enables compliance with the Open Access requirements of the EU Research and Innovation Framework Programme. Publication fees per article are paid directly and centrally by the EU Commission.

The submissions are immediately published as a preprint (under a CC-BY licence) after a formal review and then evaluated by external peer reviewers, with both the evaluations and the names of the reviewers publicly accessible (open peer review).