Open Science

Open Science is changing the way research is produced, accessed and utilised, and new and diversified ways of scientific exchange and cooperation are emerging. This movement is paving the way to enhanced cross-fertilisation of interdisciplinary research activities, which is critical to tackle complex research issues and societal challenges.

EUA is on the forefront of supporting this movement and demonstrating how Open Science holds great promise in strengthening the competitiveness of the overall European science and research system. It has the potential to speed up knowledge transfer among scientists and scientific disciplines, to foster the growth of new types of scientific cooperation and to stimulate collaborative research. However, the great potential of Open Science for scientific development and knowledge transfer comes with big challenges, such as legal constraints, confidentiality issues, intellectual property rights, scientific recognition systems and quality assurance of non-traditional research outputs.

EUA actively supports universities in the transition to Open Science. For more than a decade, the Association has promoted a series of initiatives related to the implementation of institutional policies on Open Access to research publications. EUA also has an Expert Group on Science 2.0/Open Science  that closely follows developments in this area. It addresses a broad range of issues including Open Access to research publications and data, text and data mining and big data.

The Association’s focus on Open Science is also seen in its extensive efforts in providing input to the EU’s research and innovation programmes.

  • Open Access

    The publication of research outcomes in digital formats is providing scientists and other stakeholders in research and innovation with enhanced opportunities to increase the visibility of, and widen access to, scientific articles and research data. This facilitates developments towards Open Access, a phenomenon that has received increased attention from the academic community, publishers, research funders, governments and even the general public over the past years.

    EUA has become a leading voice in the debate on Open Access as it has been monitoring developments in the field from an institutional perspective for more than a decade. Through dedicated activities, EUA has shaped the debate and worked with its many university members to accelerate the transition towards a more open, transparent and collaborative research system. EUA’s efforts are in line with those of the European Union, namely the EU policies for Open Access to research publications and data in the current and future Framework Programmes, the FAIR data principles  (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) and the creation of the European Open Science Cloud.

  • Big Deals with Publishers

    Large contract negotiations between universities and scientific publishers, the so-called “Big Deals”, are becoming increasingly important for universities. This is due to the changes brought by Open Access and Open Science and the need for greater transparency, especially in what concerns the use of public funds. The EUA High-Level Group on Big Deals, comprising university leaders and scientific publishing specialists, monitors the evolution of negotiation mechanisms between universities and publishers and how these affect the content and financial conditions given to academic institutions.

    EUA conducts a mapping of major scientific publishing contracts in Europe from the perspective of universities. This original initiate has revealed, for the first time on a European scale, the magnitude of spending and the stark differences across countries in big deal contracts with scientific publishers.

    EUA provides a platform for dialogue about Big Deal negotiations and for sharing good practices and information about the development of the Big Deal landscape in Europe to increase the efficiency and transparency of scientific publishing.

  • Copyright Reform

    EUA is part of a broad alliance of more than 100 organisations that has voiced concerns over recent proposals for a Directive on copyright in the Digital Single Market. The alliance seeks a balanced compromise that fosters openness in education, research, innovation and competitiveness.

    A Europe at the forefront of a prosperous and growing digital society is the vision set out by the European Commission in its strategy for a Digital Single Market. To get there, EUA recommends three broad mandatory exceptions for research based on text and data mining; for cross-border off-site education; and for the preservation of cultural heritage. These measures will enable universities, their libraries, researchers and educators to generate new insights based on analysing large datasets; to provide innovative learning and teaching opportunities; and, to preserve cultural heritage objects in the Digital Era.

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