Stakeholder consultations

Consult with communities of stakeholders about open access to, sharing of, and re-use of research data and other research digital objects from public funding for reinforcing trust.

This should include establishing open and inclusive processes that ensure equitable representation of stakeholder groups and consideration of their respective needs.

Stakeholders include public institutions, NGOs, international organisations, researchers, academia, media, educators, policy makers, the private sector, human rights institutions, and other bodies established for the youth and children.  Policymakers should build the foundations of a two-way communication among these communities and involve them in co-design and co-creation activities.

To accomplish such collaborations, it may be advisable to:

• Involve scholarly/academic societies and consider their recommondations, e.g. societies that have already tackled the challenge of “as open as possible, as closed as necessary”, e.g. see the Revised recommendations for Data management and Data Sharing by the German Society for Psychology (DGP)

• Hold disciplinary and interdisciplinary workshops in cultural change to build and foster awareness and incentivise participation through funding, certification, or integration with research evaluation criteria.

• Consider the development of field-specific OA frameworks that address discipline-specific concerns while maintaining alignment with broader Open Science goals.

• Consult with stakeholders, such as researchers as producers and end users, and RPOs and research funders when developing a National policy/strategy on Open Science (Open data sharing).

• Emphasise the importance of ensuring that data sharing complies with ethical standards and legal frameworks, including protecting personal data in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In this regard, it is crucial that data is anonymised when necessary and that participants' privacy rights are respected.

Challenges in implementing this provision include:

• Resistance to Change and unwillingness to get involved: 
  • Some scholarly communities may resist open access (OA) mandates, fearing loss of control over data, misinterpretation of findings, or potential misuse. This could limit stakeholders' engagement levels significantlly).

• Diverging Disciplinary Standards: 
  • Different academic societies and disciplines have varying perspectives on data openness, making it difficult to establish universal open access (OA) policies.

• Lack of Awareness & Misconceptions: 
  • Many researchers and institutions still misunderstand OA policies, leading to low participation in reelvant workshops and consultations.

• Slow Decision-Making Processes: 
  • Reaching consensus with multiple stakeholders can delay policy adoption.