Paris Conference on Open Research Information
Abstracts
Abstracts of all presentations on Day 1 of the Paris Conference on Open Research Information. Presenters are indicated with an asterisk.
The first day of the conference featured in person and online talks about open research information by signatories and supporters of the Barcelona Declaration.
Many of the presentation slides of Day 1 are also available in a collection on Zenodo.
Session 1: Universities - policies
Research Information for Inclusiveness
Flaminio Squazzoni* / Paola Galimberti (University of Milan)
Signing a declaration can make a difference only if there is a supportive context to implement the resulting actions. This includes a clear vision, appropriate policies, and necessary resources. At the University of Milan, this context includes: a 16-person open science support team, Italy’s most extensive institutional and data repositories, a dedicated committee representing all departments and roles, ongoing updates on open science issues, a major diamond open access university press, and a comprehensive open science training system at all levels. Here, we will introduce our new dashboard that maps collaboration at the level of each researcher, research group and department with institutions worldwide. Based on the University’s institutional repository, AIR (https://air.unimi.it), and OpenAlex (https://openalex.org), our dashboard can exhaustively map research output by using inclusive, open, reusable, and equitable tools instead of closed and expensive bibliometric tools that do not ensure sufficient coverage of important research fields and publication outlet. After providing a live pilot demonstration, we will share some lessons learned and discuss certain limitations, some already resolved, others still in process. Our dashboard is part of the University’s broader effort to create an open infrastructure, aligning with COARA and UNESCO recommendations, that supports more context-specific and inclusive monitoring systems fully reflecting open science governance principles.
Engaging the Research Community to Drive the Transition to Open Research Information
Ana Ranitovic* (University of Groningen)
At the University of Groningen, an important driver of the transition to open research information has been our academic community. Engaging faculty and researchers alongside librarians, policy-makers and research support professionals has proven to be essential for advancing broad organizational buy-in and enabling the shift required to fulfill our commitments to open research information. In this talk, I will discuss the challenges we have encountered in our effort to build broad-based engagement and share some of the key strategies we have employed to overcome them.
A significant part of our approach has been to leverage internal interdisciplinary structures such as the Open Science Program, Open Science Community Groningen, Young Academy Groningen, CoARA faculty and staff network, and our Rewards and Recognition committee, among others. Engaging these in the drive to promote the openness of research information has helped foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and nurture a sense of ownership among academic staff.
Awareness of the benefits of open research information and the issues driving the transition motivates researchers to support and advocate for it. Their involvement in dialogue and policy-making helps ensure that policies meet their needs and also empowers us to navigate institutional resistance more effectively. The talk will provide attendees with practical insights into enhancing research community engagement, and highlight how this can help enable them in their efforts to implement the Barcelona Declaration. The short session aims to inspire and provide actionable ideas for fostering engagement and commitment to advancing the adoption of open research information
Challenging established policies and practices : why Sorbonne University decided to use and promote Open Research Information
Anne-Catherine Fritzinger* / Amélie Church* (Sorbonne University)
Sorbonne University has had for a number of years a very strong policy on Open Science, supported by a committed leadership and an engaged community.
In 2023, the university’s governance decided to further challenge the status quo on research information, a sector where the preponderance of proprietary products was until recently little questioned, by unsuscribing from proprietary database, using only open research information, and signing the Barcelona Declaration. This decision came at the right conjuncture nationally and internationaly, meeting the commitments the Barcelona Declaration and the development of open infrastructures, yet was also founded on a vision for new policies and practices for the university. Open Research information is not only useful for internal tools and analysis on the research activity, but also essential to research integrity and opening science to society, giving the opportunity to build back trust in the science community.
Session 2: Universities - data and practical implementations
The UNIBO path: how we comply with the Declaration’s Commitments
Silvio Peroni* (University of Bologna)
Adherence to the Barcelona Declaration is consistent with the general principles and policies of the University. It contributes to achieving the strategic objectives of the University regarding open science, which include the principles of quality and transparency in research and evaluation, the University policy for open access to research data and publications, the University policy for the management of research data, and the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan. Furthermore, it complies with the commitments of other international initiatives supported by the University, including CoARA, which involves using open and fully reusable data in evaluation processes to guarantee transparency and impartiality, as well as control by the scientific community. In this speech, I will present the activities that the University of Bologna has implemented and continues to implement to comply with the Barcelona Declaration, as well as the possible immediate obstacles and long-term objectives. The aim is to showcase real examples of actions signatories (particularly Universities) can implement, thus offering knowledge exchange and guidance on implementing the Declaration’s fundamental commitments and principles.
Promoting the Openness of Research Information at the University of Bamberg In the Spirit of the Barcelona Declaration
Fabian Franke* (University of Bamberg)
The University of Bamberg has introduced a research information system (RIS) based on DSpace-CRIS. In close cooperation between the University Library, the University IT Service and the Research Funding & Transfer Division, a comprehensive system has been created that presents all research activities at the University of Bamberg in a network. The RIS contains projects, awards, prizes and profiles of the university’s researchers and links them to publications and research data. It thus fulfils the function of an institutional repository and university bibliography. All research information is recorded according to open metadata standards and tagged with persistent identifiers (e.g. DOI, ORCID, funder IDs). It can be networked and reused. So openness is the default for the research information at the University of Bamberg. The RIS is connected to the university’s central identity management system via Shibboleth. Publications and bibliographic data can be entered via a form or imported from external sources. Publication lists can be automatically integrated into the university’s websites using the Citation Style Language. In addition, the RIS forms the central working environment for the open access publication of monographs in the university publishing house and for the administration of the university bibliography and provides a basis for the performance-oriented allocation of funds. The contribution presents the concept of this research information system and its comprehensive networking as an example of best practice in Germany and as an important component in achieving the goals of the Barcelona Declaration.
Using open research information for research assessment in the Netherlands - Open enough to get a foot in the door
Mathijs de Zwaan* (VU Amsterdam)
In 2023, psychological research at a consortium of eight Dutch universities was evaluated following the Strategy Evaluation Protocol (SEP). The SEP lays out the procedure and requirements to evaluate research at Dutch public institutions, similar to the Research Excellence Framework in the UK. The research intelligence (RI) team at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam provided support in the preparation of the joint assessment.
The consortium, following a proposal from the RI team, decided to combine closed data from local research information systems with open metadata from OpenAlex for a bibliometric analysis of its research output. In this presentation, I will describe why and how we came to this decision; what problems we encountered and how we solved them (or didn’t); present some of the analyses we did; and discuss the reactions from the consortium and the assessment committee to the analysis, all focusing on the use of open data.
This case shows how using open research information need not be an all-or-nothing decision. By combining open and closed data, it is possible to manage discussions about reliability and quality of new open data sources, while at the same familiarising a new group of people with these sources and the benefits that they can bring.
Session 3: Funders/national/governments
The FWF’s approach to Open Research Information
Katharina Rieck* (Austrian Science Fund - FWF)
The Austrian Science Fund (FWF) is strongly committed to the principles of Open Science, advocating for over two decades to ensure that research outputs are as openly accessible as possible. This includes ensuring that data on research funding and grants is openly available and interoperable. Central to this effort is the use of persistent identifiers in grant metadata. All FWF projects are assigned a grant DOI, which must be cited as the identifier of the approved project in any research output. Since 2016, ORCID has been mandatory for all researchers submitting proposals to the FWF, and ROR IDs are used in project metadata to ensure unique identification of research institutions. This accessibility and interoperability of grant metadata supports the efficient sharing of information of research projects globally. Beyond persistent identifiers, the FWF has supported open research infrastructures for over a decade and openly shares information on funded initiatives on its website.
This talk will specifically address how the FWF’s efforts align with and support the commitments outlined in the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information. By sharing the FWF’s strategies and practices, the aim is to provide other signatories with practical insights and actionable steps to enhance the openness and interoperability of grant information. Other funders might find this particularly useful in implementing similar frameworks within their organizations. Additionally, the talk will highlight FWF’s current projects in the field of open research information and outline future plans.
Open research information to inform regional policies: the case of Tuscany Region
Lorenzo Bacci* (Regione Toscana)
The Region of Tuscany supports research and innovation activities in its territory through direct R&D funding and through facilitation and coordination actions between the different actors of the regional ecosystem. In order to better inform and support its policies, the Tuscany Region has set up a regional research observatory, which integrates various sources of data and combine metadata on R&D activities, funding and human resources. In this context, the Region has committed to identifying, analysing and integrating open research information into its Observatory, deciding to abandon the use of proprietary research information (in particular for scientific publications) in favour of fully open data sources. In the same view, an internal action has also been launched (in collaboration with various regional government offices) to improve the publication of and access to metadata on research funding. The Tuscany experience is an opportunity to demonstrate the potential and opportunities of open research information to support public policies and to facilitate a better dialogue with regional and national stakeholders, from regional universities to the national evaluation agencies. However, it also shows the challenge faced by public administrations that are too often organised ina ”silos” structure, which is not optimal to deal with transversal challenges, as research should be.
Enhancing Open Research Information: The State Scientific and Technical Library of Ukraine’s Contribution to Advancing Global Open Access Initiatives
Sophia Zherebchuk (State Scientific and Technical Library of Ukraine)
The State Scientific and Technical Library of Ukraine (SSTL of Ukraine) signed the Barcelona Declaration on Open Access to promote these values of openness, transparency, and accessibility in scientific research. By endorsing the declaration, the SSTL of Ukraine commits to supporting open access initiatives, fostering a culture of sharing and collaboration, and ensuring that Ukrainian scientific outputs are freely accessible to the global research community. This move aligns with the goals of the OUCI and URIS projects, reinforcing Ukraine’s commitment to the principles of open science and contributing to the global movement towards more open and transparent research practices.
URIS (national CRIS system) aggregates and presents data on scientific and technical activities in Ukraine, facilitating the discovery of research, resources, and expertise. It serves as a centralized platform that supports the dissemination and accessibility of scientific information. Also, URIS enables the integration of institutional repositories, electronic archives, and internal systems into the ORCID system. This fosters collaboration among educational institutions and research organizations in Ukraine, making it easier to share and access scientific data.
By creating a comprehensive database of scientific citations, Open Ukrainian Citation Index (OUCI) enhances the visibility and accessibility of Ukrainian scientific publications. It encourages the inclusion of DOI references, making it easier to verify and access the sources used in academic work. This aligns with the principles of open science by promoting transparency and easy access to research outputs. Focuses on improving the completeness and quality of metadata in Ukrainian scientific journals. By drawing attention to these aspects, OUCI ensures that research outputs are better represented in specialized search systems, thereby increasing their visibility and impact. This effort aligns with the principles of the Barcelona Declaration, which advocates for the free accessibility of research outputs.
The Barcelona Declaration provides a framework and a set of principles that guide and amplify the efforts of initiatives like OUCI and URIS, ensuring that Ukrainian scientific outputs are freely accessible and globally integrated, thus advancing the cause of open science.
French research simplification policy through PIDs : research information openness as a consequence
Isabelle Blanc* / Nicolas Fressengeas* (Ministry for Higher Education, Research and Innovation, France)
Both the second French National Plan for Open Science and the Higher Education and Research Ministry data road map, published in 2021, explicitly mention the use of international persistent identifiers (PIDs), like ORCID and ROR, to strengthen the researchers digital identities and extend the reach of their work. Recently, the Ministry’s data road map played a role in designing a policy for administrative simplification that relies on better data circulation. This method relies on PIDs, which are the world’s unique way to connect researchers, research outputs, institutions, and grants. The policy has two major objectives: reduce administrative burden and track research engagement and impact. A plan to effectively adopt PIDs will be designed in 2024 by representatives from French research organisations, funders, assessors, national IT and IST specialists, and international PID providers like ORCID and DataCite. In parallel the Ministry has decided to support OpenAlex, the fully open bibliographic database. The adoption of PIDs in conjunction with the support to OpenAlex, shapes the third objective : research information openness, as the Barcelona Declaration states it. However, redirecting an organisation data curation efforts from closed proprietary databases to OpenAlex hinders the quality of the former, and the rankings they enable, potential causing reputational damage to the organisation. In summary : administrative burden reduction, research productions precise tracking and information openness can be enhanced by the same move if the link to the need for open information based institutions ranking is evidenced and publicised.
Session 4: International collaborations
Harmonizing the Barcelona Declaration and CoARA Efforts: Advancing Open Infrastructures for Responsible Research Assessment
Angeliki Tzouganatou* (OpenAIRE) / Iryna Kuchma (EIFL) / Giulia Malaguarnera (OpenAIRE) / Natalia Manolo (OpenAIRE) / Thanasis Vergoulis* (Athena Research Center) / Clifford Tatum (CWTS)*
Against the backdrop of our ongoing efforts in the CoARA Working Group “Towards Open Infrastructures for Responsible Research Assessment,” we continue to advance principles that align with the Barcelona Declaration. Our mission is to establish and propagate principles and practices that ensure infrastructures can foster transparency, fairness, inclusivity, trustworthiness, and accountability, thus making them suitable for Responsible Research Assessment (RRA). We have developed comprehensive principles and characteristics for Open Infrastructures (OI), focusing on promoting open, sustainable, community-governed, fair, and equitable practices.
Our primary goal has been to underscore the motivations for transitioning to OI and to illustrate best practices designed to persuade decision-makers of their advantages. In parallel, we are in the process of finalizing an architectural reference model to demonstrate the technical, legal, and financial capacities needed for effective OI fit for RRA. This model will serve as a strategic guide for institutions building OI fit for RRA processes.
In the talk we will present our work and discuss the alignment with the Barcelona Declaration, showcasing practical applications to better understand the role of OI in fostering a more equitable, transparent, and accountable research environment. In our view, this approach aligns with the commitments articulated in the Barcelona Declaration while ensuring the sustainability of OI.
While this CoARA Working Group is still in progress, our aim is to present our plans and early outcomes as practical input to the discussion of realizing Open Research Information.
Accelerating the uptake of the Barcelona Declaration’s principles: the catalyst role of networks in the emergence of change and influencing policy agenda setting
Ludovic Thilly* / Beatrix Busse (Coimbra Group)
Coimbra Group strongly supports the movement towards open research information with the stated objective to be at the forefront of this cultural transformation. We will bring to the other signatories of the Barcelona Declaration the variety of perspectives and the expertise available in our network of leading European comprehensive universities established across 22 countries and the pioneering role played by some of them.
It is central for Coimbra Group to stress that transitions in how research information is provided must respect the equal importance of all disciplines, including the Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts. This transition also contributes to advance the agenda towards more open and transparent University rankings. Coimbra Group will continue raising awareness among its members of the importance of open research information and actively promoting dialogue on this important topic. Coimbra Group shall gently nudge its communities by engaging both the management level and the academics and administrative staff active through its thematic Working Groups and by offering its trustful collaborative environment for mutual learning and exchange of experience.
Coimbra Group already initiated a dialogue with the rectors of its 40 member universities on the concrete implications of institutional commitments in Open Science and open research Information, tackling among others what this means in terms of committing resources, of regulations and of change management. The number of Coimbra Group Universities that have already signed the Barcelona Declaration illustrates the network capacity to convince and mobilize the leadership of institutions of high international standard.
Coimbra Group will also build on its advocacy expertise and capacity to influence the European institutions to shape policy changes in this area.
Towards Building a Roadmap for the Barcelona Declaration: Contributions from Latin America (FOLEC-CLACSO) / Hacia la construcción de una hoja de ruta de la Declaración de Barcelona: aportes desde América Latina (FOLEC-CLACSO)
Judith Naidorf* (CLACSO)
Open Research Information in Latin America is in its early stages with emerging regulations and experiences with limited impact. Nonetheless, at FOLEC we firmly believe that open science paradigm, including open research information, is here to stay; future science will be open or it will not be. Latin America has been a pioneer in the open science movement, even before it was defined as such. Diverse epistemic traditions, institutional mechanisms, and public funding have encouraged “open” ways of producing and using scientific knowledge in the region.
According to the accumulated experience from the Global South, we wish to contribute to the Barcelona Declaration by proposing three essential elements:
- Precautions: In the Global South, international scientific production circuits are defined by capacities and infrastructures disparities. It is crucial to prevent and mitigate North-South academic extractivism while promoting the openness of research information.
- Situated Priorities: Open data is not Latin America’s most urgent need. First, we must address the basic information infrastructure. Additionaly, it is vital to consider multiple opening strategies for several open science components.
- Articulation and Evaluation: Implementing open information policies should adopt a comprehensive approach.
Scientific evaluation (of individuals, publications, institutions) plays a crucial role. It is essential to integrate evaluation and openness to encourage practices that promote a more democratic science. This talk will offer a comprehensive overview of FOLEC’s insights and encourage discussions on how to adapt these approaches to progress towards a globally open and equitable science.
Español:
La Información de Investigación Abierta en América Latina se encuentra en etapas iniciales, con normativas y experiencias incipientes y de poco impacto. No obstante, desde FOLEC creemos firmemente que el paradigma de la ciencia abierta, incluyendo la información de investigación abierta, llegó para quedarse; la ciencia del futuro será abierta o no será. América Latina ha sido pionera en el movimiento de ciencia abierta, incluso antes de que se definiera como tal. Las tradiciones epistémicas diversas, mecanismos institucionales y la financiación pública han fomentado formas “abiertas” de producir y utilizar conocimiento científico en la región.
Desde esta experiencia acumulada desde el sur global queremos contribuir a la Declaración de Barcelona, proponemos tres elementos que es necesario no perder de vista:
- Precauciones: En el sur global, los circuitos internacionales de producción científica están marcados por diferencias en capacidades e infraestructuras. Es crucial prevenir y mitigar el extractivismo académico norte-sur al promover la apertura de información de investigación.
- Prioridades situadas: Los datos abiertos no son la necesidad más urgente en América Latina. Primero, se debe abordar la infraestructura de información básica y su apertura. Es vital contemplar múltiples estrategias de apertura de diversos componentes de la ciencia abierta.
- Articulación y Evaluación: La implementación de políticas de información abierta debe ser integral.
La evaluación científica (de personas, publicaciones, instituciones) juega un rol crucial. Es esencial articular evaluación y apertura para incentivar prácticas que promuevan una ciencia más democrática. Esta charla proporcionará un panorama de las reflexiones de FOLEC y fomentará la reflexión sobre la adaptación de estos enfoques para avanzar hacia una ciencia abierta y equitativa a nivel global.
Session 5: Infrastructures I
How to curate open scholarly metadata databases?
Simon Willemin* (ETH Zurich)
Open scholarly metadata databases present the advantage of enabling more compared to closed databases in terms of use and reuse of information, transparency, and reproducibility. However, there is still room for improvement regarding the accuracy and completeness of key metadata. Since some of the registries used as a source in those global databases are community-led, it is possible for anyone to actively contribute to their improvement.
The talk will first address some of the challenges involved in identifying the reasons for discrepancies in the results of analyses carried out with open databases compared to closed databases. It will then introduce actions that have the potential to significantly improve the metadata quality in open infrastructures.
Leveraging the power of open research information to foster open collaboration towards an equitable not-for-profit ecosystem for Open Access books
Juan Alperin (Public Knowledge Project), Silke Davison, Ronald Snijder, Niels Stern (OAPEN), Kevin Sanders (Open Book Collective), Rupert Gatti*, Toby Steiner (Thoth Open Metadata)
Within the context of Open Science, book publishing traditionally lags behind in the adoption of open data and corresponding practices. A number of not-for-profit infrastructures including the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB), OAPEN, Open Book Collective (OBC), Public Knowledge Project (PKP), and Thoth Open Metadata, that have all individually signed the Barcelona Declaration are now joining forces to collaboratively further develop open, community-led alternatives for publishers to assist them in the creation, discovery, distribution, archiving and financing of open access books.
PKP offers an open source book production and title management system (Open Monograph Press (OMP)) which will shortly be integrated with Thoth to provide a robust and extensive metadata management system for both OA and non-OA books. Interoperability between the collaborating infrastructures means publishers can be supported (by Thoth and OAPEN) in the distribution and archiving of OA book content and metadata to multiple channels (including Crossref, the Internet Archive and Portico); have their content and metadata hosted in internationally recognised discovery and hosting solutions (DOAB and OAPEN); access usage metrics solutions for their content across multiple platforms (via OAPEN’s Book Analytics Service); and in creating and managing collective funding channels for OA books via the OBC, which is also providing a funding solution for the collective of infrastructure providers involved in this collaboration.
Emerging from all of this is a collective effort to create an open, equitable ecosystem of interoperable not-for-profit services and platforms that fully embraces the benefits of open research information.
Open Metadata, Open Minds: Driving Research Impact through Collaboration and Innovation
Matt Buys* (DataCite)
Since its founding in 2009, DataCite has been dedicated to the principle of open research information and metadata. Our commitment to openness is exemplified by our CC0 metadata and open APIs, which facilitate the connection of research outputs to advance knowledge. Through metadata enrichment, we enhance the discoverability and utility of research outputs and resources. This commitment extends to our role with the Research Organization Registry (ROR) and Make Data Count initiatives, where DataCite serves as an operational partner and fiscal sponsor, respectively.A cornerstone of our efforts is the PID Graph, which has scaled to encompass nearly 100 million research outputs and resources, linking them to organizations and contributors worldwide. This extensive datafile underscores our mission to support the research community by fostering connections and providing a robust infrastructure for research information.
In this session, we will explore how open scholarly infrastructure, persistent identifier (PID) metadata, and strategic community engagement drive transformative change within the research ecosystem. We will highlight our collaborative efforts to develop meaningful impact assessments, drawing from past experiences to support the continuous advancement of research. Join us to learn how these initiatives collectively contribute to a more connected and impactful research community.
No open science without open metadata
Ginny Hendricks* / Ed Pentz (Crossref)
Metadata conveys the provenance, evidence, results of, and responses to research. This once-geeky afterthought has become one of the most important tools in progressing the open science movement and the growing attention on open metadata rightly reflects the growing urgency for open science. But opening up metadata doesn’t just happen; multiple ‘nudges’ have taken place over the years, both coordinated and transparent, as well as uncoordinated and behind closed doors. Learning from prior initiatives and actions, we will cover some ideas for what it may take to speed up open metadata for open science, and what infrastructure organisations like Crossref are doing and can do to support the effort.
Session 6: Infrastructures II
Building Digital Public Goods of Open Research Information for Inclusiveness and Sustainability of Scientific Communication: The Latin American use case
Arianna Becerril-Garcia* / Saray Córdoba* (Redalyc, AmeliCA and CLACSO)
The nature of the World Wide Web entails, conceptually and technically, the principle of universality. Anyone can benefit and contribute to it. The net paradigm based on decentralization has been critical to the Web’s growth and innovation. It is also a key factor in achieving diversity. Open infrastructures providing open research information acting as digital public goods should comply with criteria such as relevance to Sustainable Development Goals, open licenses, clear ownership, platform independence, documentation, mechanisms for extracting data, among others. The sustainability of such digital public goods should be secured collectively and the universal service they provide should be assessed. In Latin America, the dissemination of knowledge has been the responsibility of the academic and research sectors, mainly sustained with public funds. Its components, such as journals and repositories, have been open by default and they provide a universal service. The condition of diversity of knowledge, methodologies, research agendas, metadata richness, and languages is directly proportional to the capacity of inclusivity and interconnectivity of diverse open data sources. Today, Latin America has important research information infrastructures, at the regional and national levels, as well as thousands of journals and hundreds of repositories articulated at different levels and layers of interoperability to generate new public goods from existing ones, within an interconnected ecosystem of knowledge. However, it is also very important to note the degradation of public goods due to the adoption of commercial strategies, and some public policies and practices that are limiting the scope of open data integration, such as inequities in technology access and the necessary involvement of those traditionally underrepresented groups. Building on data sources of research information to enable digital public goods is a sustainable and responsible way to contribute to fulfill the commitments of the Barcelona Declaration.
A vision for repositories in support of the Barcelona Declaration
Kathleen Shearer* / Martin Klein (COAR)
Repositories are critical infrastructure for open science and more and more policies require the deposit of research data, articles, and other research outputs into a repository. In addition, we know that repositories collectively already collect and preserve millions of valuable research outputs contributing to multilingualisms and bibliodiversity in the scholarly ecosystem. This will only increase as funders and governments strengthen their open science policies. However, partly due to the distributed nature of the repository environment, repository metadata (and thus their content) is often excluded from major indexing discovery services, making much of the content in repositories essentially invisible in the global corpus of research outputs and, as a result, not counted and recognized by funders and others. This also contributes to the lack of uptake by researchers of repositories. COAR, an international associate of repository initiatives, intends to address this issue of lack of visibility of repositories in the coming year, by working with the repository community, members and partners, to develop local and global strategies. These will include activities such as (1) improving and enhancing the existing metadata in repositories, and (2) developing national / regional models that aggregate from local repositories and deliver the metadata to international indexing services. In this presentation we will outline the major barriers repositories are facing in terms of discoverability and present our initial recommendations for moving forward.
Towards an Open Research Information Ecosystem: Synergies with Open Software and Open Metadata Providers
Christian Hauschke* (TIB) / Kyle Demes* (OpenAlex) / Michele Mennielli* (Lyrasis)
VIVO and OpenAlex are complementary initiatives in the realm of open research information. VIVO, an open-source software, focuses on the aggregation of profiles of actors in science to enable visualization of an institution’s scholarly activities through comprehensive profiles of researchers, their publications, projects, and aQiliations.
OpenAlex serves as a global index of scholarly publications with a massive database of scholarly works, authors, institutions, and accompanying metadata. In this presentation, we will highlight the power and benefit to all involved stakeholders of connecting opensource software, built with open standards, to open research information. These benefits include sovereignity over the metadata of an institution’s research activities and output, plus improved and enriched metadata for OpenAlex, the institution using VIVO, and all potential consumers of that data across the global research community.
VIVO can utilize OpenAlex’s vast metadata to fill its profiles, ensuring that researchers’ outputs are more accurately represented and more easily discoverable. At the same time, OpenAlex can benefit from the rich, structured data provided by VIVO, such as affiliation details and project specifics, to deepen the context and accuracy of its records.
Addressing structural inequalities in research information
Juan Pablo Alperin* (PKP)
It is well known that OpenAlex is a more inclusive source of research information than any of the closed alternatives. Their more inclusive indexing policy should be celebrated, as it opens the possibility of research assessment that legitimately considers all research—regardless of where it is published. This is a key promise and opportunity of relying on open research information, but for this promise to be fulfilled, it needs to be a core part of the work of all the Barcelona Declaration signatories. This presentation will show, through the analysis of over 45,000 journals published using PKP’s OJS, that there are structural inequalities in access to scholarly infrastructures that, despite best efforts, are keeping thousands of journals from being included. In our analysis, we found that journals that assign DOIs are more likely to be indexed, but that around 15,000 journals assign them incorrectly (i.e., their DOIs do not resolve); others are using DataCite DOIs, because they are cheaper, but contain less detailed metadata. In addition, very few journals using OJS share their references through Crossref, leading to misrepresentation of their circulation in the literature. An open database like OpenAlex allows us to study and address these limitations, but we cannot expect data improvements to only be made by and for those whose institutions have the resources to do so. Working towards developing open research information systems is an opportunity to address structural information inequities. Doing so will require a proactive effort to improve the availability of research information from communities that have been historically excluded—not just from our own.