Progress on Open Science: EUA contributes to final report from the Open Science Policy Platform

The Open Science Policy Platform (OSPP) published its final report “Progress on Open Science: Towards a Shared Research Knowledge System” on Thursday, 28 May. As member of this high-level advisory group to the European Commission, EUA contributed the perspective of European universities.

The report comes at the end of a four-year mandate for stakeholder representatives in OSPP to explore practical commitments for the implementation of Open Science. Building on the set of recommendations from its first mandate, OSPP focussed its attention on the implementation of good practices and policies at stakeholder level in the period between 2016 and 2020.

The report illustrates some progress and a number of success stories but notes overall, a slower than anticipated transition to Open Science. Structural obstacles remain firmly in place. The report highlights the shared responsibility of stakeholders in tackling these obstacles which currently present in areas such as academic career structure, as well in research systems and cultures.

EUA is fully committed to Open Science as a shared responsibility, recognising that a successful transition will require a concerted effort from key stakeholders. The Association has contributed its unique expertise on this issue since 2007 and continues to share  information it gathers on the current situation in Europe to build progressive dialogue between universities and other key actors in the transition to Open  Science.