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OpenScience

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OpenScience: Open Research Data

OpenScience is a movement that aims to make scientific research, data, access and dissemination available to the whole of society.

This movement is based on collaboration and contribution, which can be promoted when research data, lab notes and other research processes are made open access, on terms that allow for the reuse, redistribution and reproduction of research.

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A colorful infographic titled 'Open Science' which illustrates various aspects and principles of open scientific research, including access to data and evaluation processes.

Open Science: Accessible and open scientific data and research

Open Science is based on six principles for opening up the processes and results of scientific research. Open peer review and open educational resources are two other important aspects.

Open knowledge is defined by:

  • Open Methodology
  • Free software and hardware
  • Open Data (free to reuse)
  • Open Access (free and open)
  • Open Peer Review
  • Open Educational Resources (MOOCs, OERs or OERs)


An infographic titled '10 pasos para elaborar un Plan de Gestión de Datos', detailing ten steps for creating a data management plan with colorful icons and text in Spanish.

The development of a data management plan

The European Union's Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 includes an Open Research Data Pilot which aims to ensure access and re-use of data generated within the scope of participating projects.
Horizon 2020 requires projects that are part of the Open Research Data Pilot to deliver a full Data Management Plan within the first 6 months of the project. A Data Management Plan is a document that describes how research data collected or generated in the course of a research project will be treated.


In this regard, the European Commission published a Communication in April 2016 dictating that the Horizon 2020 pilot project will cease to be a pilot in 2017 and open access to research data by default will be the norm for any project.
At the national level, the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) together with six Spanish universities have launched Maredata, a national thematic network that stores open research data for reuse by other sectors interested in scientific information.

An infographic titled '10 pasos para elaborar un Plan de Gestión de Datos', detailing ten steps for creating a data management plan with colorful icons and text in Spanish.
An informational poster providing guidance on how to cite research data, including importance, good practices, and an APA style citation example.

The importance of citing research data

Advantages of citing research data:

  • Datasets are also research outputs such as articles, monographs, etc.
  • Citing research data makes it easier to identify and access the data and thus to locate, validate and re-use it.
  • It allows the authorship of its creators to be known.
  • It facilitates the metrics and impact of the data.
  • It favours transparency in scientific research.