March 5, 2026
How do shared principles actually reshape governance, funding models, and everyday decisions inside open scholarly infrastructures?
This question framed our recent webinar, organized in light of the Principles of Open Scholarly Infrastructure (POSI) 2.0. The recent revision (developed through a collective community process) clarified distinctions between governance and operations, strengthened language around sustainability planning, and incorporated community feedback, creating a timely opportunity to reflect on what these updates mean in practice.
Co-organized by the Barcelona Declaration Working Group 5 Sustaining Infrastructures and POSI, the webinar brought together leaders from Crossref, DataCite, DOAJ, and Europe PMC to explore how shared principles actively shape governance, sustainability models, and operational decisions. The session welcomed 76 participants from 17 countries, underscoring the global relevance of sustainable open infrastructure, and the shared responsibility behind it.
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What is POSI?
The Principles of Open Scholarly Infrastructure (POSI) is a community-developed framework designed to help open infrastructures strengthen how they operate. From governance and financial resilience to transparency, interoperability, and long-term continuity planning.
POSI is implemented through public self-assessments, encouraging transparency and continuous improvement rather than functioning as a certification scheme.
Why POSI matters for the Barcelona Declaration
The third commitment of the Barcelona Declaration is clear: “We will support the sustainability of infrastructures for open research information”.
In her opening remarks, Bianca Kramer (Executive Director, Barcelona Declaration) highlighted how this commitment is being advanced through Working Group 5 on Sustaining Infrastructures.
As she noted during the webinar:
“Open infrastructure requires more than good intentions; it requires governance, funding strategies, and community engagement.”
POSI provides a structured way to engage with these questions, offering a shared reference point for what sustainable open infrastructure looks like in practice, both for infrastructures and for the institutions that support them.
POSI as a living framework: guardrails, not prescriptions
A recurring theme throughout the webinar was that POSI is neither a static checklist nor a one-time milestone. As Joanna Ball (Managing Director, DOAJ) put it:
“POSI is not a badge; it is a direction of travel.”
Adopting POSI therefore implies an ongoing commitment to reflection and improvement.
At the same time, POSI does not impose a single operational model. As Lucy Ofiesh (Chief Operating Officer, Crossref) noted:
“It’s not prescriptive, but it provides guardrails for decision-making with the long-term future of the infrastructure in mind.”
From values to decisions
Speakers shared how POSI influences real organizational choices. Matt Buys (Executive Director, DataCite) emphasized:
“POSI helps organizations more clearly demonstrate how they live the values of open scholarly infrastructure.”
For DataCite, this has meant embedding POSI within strategic planning and governance discussions. DOAJ described how the principles informed structural changes and strengthened accountability. Crossref highlighted how POSI supports long-term sustainability decisions, while Europe PMC noted how the framework helps align funder expectations, governance arrangements, and operational transparency.
Across these cases, POSI functioned as a lens, aligning long-term strategy with community expectations while respecting each organisation’s context.
Openness and measurable impact
The conversation also highlighted tangible outcomes. Melissa Harrison (Team Leader, Literature Services, Europe PMC) shared how open references and shared metadata available via Crossref have expanded Europe PMC’s citation network:
“This has increased the citation network at Europe PMC with over 256 million new citations, and it’s increased coverage by 30%.”
Such examples demonstrate how openness and interoperability translate into measurable impact, and why sustainable governance matters.
Continuing the conversation
Sustaining open research information infrastructure requires collective responsibility. The POSI community and the Barcelona Declaration share a commitment to strengthening governance and resilience across the ecosystem.
The webinar recording and slides will be shared shortly. We look forward to continuing the dialogue.