July 09, 2025
On July 2, 2025, the University of Milan hosted Open Information on Research: sources and implementation (Informazioni aperte sulla ricerca: fonti e implementazioni), a national workshop on the use of open data for research evaluation. The event brought together representatives from 23 Italian institutions, including several Italian universities and the National Research Council (CNR) and the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT).
Framed in the context of the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information, the workshop built on the work of the Declaration’s signatories to advance conversations around open and collaborative approaches to research information. The event also benefited from the collaboration of several open infrastructures, whose contributions were instrumental in exploring practical pathways toward a more transparent, inclusive, and community-driven research information ecosystem.It marked a significant step in Italy’s growing engagement with open research information, highlighting the momentum and expertise already present within the country.
The workshop was opened by the Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Milan Monica Di Luca, who reflected on the institution’s recent experience working with open data; not only as a user, but increasingly also as a contributor. The decision to sign the Barcelona Declaration was presented as a natural step in an ongoing journey toward more transparent and collaborative research practices.
The programme also featured in-depth presentations showcasing practical applications and case studies involving three major open infrastructures: OpenAlex, presented by Stefano Bolelli Gallevi, Dario Basset, and Ievgen Potanov (University of Milan); OpenCitations, presented by Silvio Peroni and Ivan Heibi (University of Bologna, OpenCitations); and OpenAIRE, presented by Paolo Manghi (CNR-ISTI, OpenAIRE). These sessions illustrated how these platforms are being used to support open and collaborative research information practices. Each presentation lasted over an hour, creating space for meaningful exchange and making the workshop a valuable forum for dialogue between technical and institutional perspectives.
Reflecting on the day’s discussions, Paola Galimberti, from the University of Milan -one of the signatories of the Barcelona Declaration- highlighted the importance of building on existing national capacity:
“What became clear was that in Italy we have distributed expertise and experience that could be shared in a scalable way without starting over each time. Collaborative working is therefore the basis for moving forward on the road to open research information.”
Her remarks resonated with the broader goals of the Declaration, pointing to the power of collaboration and local leadership in driving systemic change.
Looking ahead, participants expressed interest in continuing the work sparked by the workshop on several fronts: deepening engagement with other Italian universities, initiating dialogue with national-level institutions, and exploring alignment with broader open science initiatives.
The Barcelona Declaration warmly congratulates the University of Milan, OpenAIRE and OpenCitations for hosting this successful initiative and extends its appreciation to all those involved in making it possible. The workshop stands as a valuable reference for other institutions looking to take practical steps toward advancing open research information.
All presentations can be accessed here: https://openscience.unimi.it/informazioni-metadati-sulla-ricerca-la-scienza-aperta-deve-poter-contare-su-informazioni-aperte/