Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information

Commitments



An icon of an open padlock, representing openness for commitment number one

1

We will make openness the default for the research information we use and produce

  • Openness will be the norm for the research information we use, for instance to assess researchers and institutions, to support strategic decision making, and to find relevant research outputs.

  • Openness will be the norm for the research information we produce, for instance information about our activities and outputs, with an exception for information for which openness would be inappropriate (‘as open as possible, as closed as necessary’).




An icon of a computer screen with arrows pointing outwards, representing systems for commitment number two

2

We will work with services and systems that support and enable open research information

  • For publishing services and platforms, we will require that research information generated in publication processes (e.g., metadata of research articles and other outputs) be made openly available through open scholarly infrastructures, using standard protocols and identifiers where available.

  • For systems and platforms for the internal management of research information (e.g., current research information systems), we will require that all relevant research information can be exported and made open, using standard protocols and identifiers where available.




An icon of a partially built brick wall with a trowel, representing infrastructures for commitment number three

3

We will support the sustainability of infrastructures for open research information

  • We take responsibility for supporting infrastructures for open research information, for instance by participating in community building and community governance and by providing fair and equitable contributions to the financial stability and development of these infrastructures.

  • We expect the infrastructures that we support to implement good practices for community governance and sustainability (e.g., Principles of Open Scholarly Infrastructure).




An icon of top down view of a multi-person rowing boat, representing collective action for commitment number four

4

We will support collective action to accelerate the transition to openness of research information

  • We recognize the importance of sharing experiences and coordinating action to promote a system-wide transition from closed to open research information.

  • To facilitate this, we support establishing a Coalition for Open Research Information and strengthening collaboration with other related initiatives and organizations.



A photo of Paolo Galimberti, Director of the Open Science Policy Division at the University of Milan with accompanying quote: We want research information that is easy to understand, handle, and analyse, while ensuring our analyses maintain transparency and reproducibility. Thankfully, we now have the necessary tools, processes, and determination to turn this vision into reality.