Information about Open Science

What is Open Science?

Open Science is a modern approach to scientific research that focuses on collaboration and open dissemination of data, information and knowledge via information and communication technologies. The Open Science approach is based on the continuous availability of all its aspects not only to the scientific community, but also to the public. Open Science includes the principles of transparency and reproducibility, integrity of the scientific process, possibility of free access to scientific knowledge at a multinational level and, finally, international cllaboration and innovation. The main areas of open science include:

• Open Access – online access to scientific data, information and knowledge for end users free of charge, without restrictions and without copyright infringement
• Open Data – online sharing of research data for use by other scientists for commercial or non-commercial purposes, under the same conditions
• Open Methods – transparent publication of details of the research methods used with the aim of their subsequent use by other scientists or society
• Open-Source Software – development and use of freely available source code or software for research purposes
• Citizen Science – public involvement in research
• Open Peer Review – transparent review processes for scientific articles and contributions

The goal of Open Science, which also includes Open Infrastructure, Open Scientific Communication, Open Learning Resources, Open Job Offers and others, is to increase the efficiency and credibility of research, improve collaboration and accelerate scientific progress on a global level, enable equal access to scientific knowledge without financial, legal and other barriers and consequently support the potential for growth or transformation of society and general progress.

Benefits of Open Science

The main benefits of Open Science include transparency, availability and access, reuse and redistribution of data, methods, information and knowledge, or integrity of scientific processes, which leads to a better understanding of research and its credibility. Open science also actively and significantly supports innovation, improves education and increases the competitiveness of economies.

Benefits of Open Science for Society:

• Increased quality, transparency and credibility – Open Science research processes are visible and verifiable, which increases public trust in scientific results. Transparency also reduces the risk of duplication and errors.
• Support for scientific progress and innovation – making scientific data, codes, tools, information and knowledge accessible enables more effective collaboration between scientists and institutions, fast problem solving, more effective introduction of innovations and consequently more effective application and usage.
• Social impact – publicly available research results significantly contribute to the modernization of education, better public services and faster and better informing of citizens. In addition, they provide credible and high-quality information for evidence-based decision-making processes, therefore, Open Science may consequently help effectively deal with hoaxes and misinformation.
• Improving competitiveness – publicly available scientific data, methods, information and knowledge can also be used by the private sector to specify new procedures, develop various products, or provide better quality services, which leads to a possible increase in the competitiveness of individual entities and general economic development.
• Transnational cooperation and solving global problems – Open science facilitates the creation of international partnerships and enables more effective international cooperation, which is significant for solving global problems, crises and challenges.
• Inclusion and participation – citizens can actively participate in research (via the Citizen Science), which strengthens the relationship between science and society. 

 Benefits of Open Science for Science and Research:

• Reproducibility and Verifiability – making research data, methods, codes, information and knowledge accessible enables independent verification of research results and decreases or eliminates error rates. In addition, the FAIR principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) increase standardization, reliability and quality of data and other outputs.
• Transparency of methodologies – sharing detailed procedures and tools removes the "black box" effect in experiments and subsequently ensures transparency of methodologies. The Open Science approach therefore strengthens the credibility of research and simplifies the identification of methodological errors.
• Increased citation rates – studies show that open publications have higher citation rates.
• Interdisciplinary synergy – sharing data between different disciplines leads to unexpected and interesting synergistic effects and innovative approaches.
• Data quality and meta-analysis – open datasets enable more complex and holistic meta-analyses and identification of trends.

Documents and Publications about Open Science