« Policy recommendations for open access to research data »

RECODE (recodeproject.eu) -an FP-7 project funded by the European Union- has leveraged existing networks, communities and projects to address challenges within the open access and data dissemination and preservation sector. The sector includes several different networks, initiatives, projects and communities that are fragmented by discipline, geography, and, stakeholder category, often working in isolation or with limited contact with one another. RECODE has provided a forum for European stakeholders
to work together towards common solutions to shared challenges.

To this end, RECODE has used five disciplinary case studies in open access to research data (physics, health, bioengineering, environment and archaeology) to examine four grand challenges:
– stakeholders values and ecosystems,
– legal and ethical concerns,
– infrastructure and technology challenges, and
– institutional challenges.

On the basis of this work, RECODE identified two overarching issues in the mobilisation of open access to research data: a lack of a coherent open data ecosystem; and a lack of attention to the specificity of research practice, processes and data collections. These findings along with the horizontal analyses of the RECODE case studies in relation to the four grand challenges, have informed the following policy recommendations on open access to research data.

These policy recommendations are targeted at key stakeholders in the scholarly communication ecosystem, namely research funders, research institutions, data managers, and publishers. They will assist each of the stakeholders in furthering the goals of open access to research data by providing both over-arching and stakeholder-specific recommendations. These function, as suggestions to address and attend to central issues that RECODE identified through the research work.

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The RECODE ten overarching recommendations are the following:

1. Develop aligned and comprehensive policies for open access to research data
   
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2. Ensure appropriate funding for open access to research data
   
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3. Develop policies and initiatives that offer researchers rewards for open
   
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4. access to high quality data
   
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5. Identify key stakeholders and relevant networks and foster collaborative work for a sustainable ecosystem for open access to research data
   
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6. Plan for the long-term, sustainable curation and preservation of open
   access data
   
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7. Develop comprehensive and collaborative technical and infrastructure solutions that afford open access to and long-term preservation of high-quality research data
   
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8. Develop technical and scientific quality standards for research data
   
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9. Require the use of harmonized open licensing frameworks
   
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10. Systematically address legal and ethical issues arising from open access
    to research data
    
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11. Support the transition to open research data through curriculum-development and training
    
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