Open science encompasses unhindered access to scientific articles, access to data from public research, and collaborative research enabled by ICT tools and incentives. Broadening access to scientific publications and data is at the heart of open science, so that research outputs are in the hands of as many as possible, and potential benefits are spread as widely as possible:

Open science promotes a more accurate verification of scientific results. By combining the tools of science and information technologies, scientific enquiry and discovery can be sped up for the benefit of society.  Open science reduces duplication in collecting, creating, transferring and re-using scientific material. Open science increases productivity in an era of tight budgets. Open science results in great innovation potential and increased consumer choice from public research. Open science promotes citizens’ trust in science. Greater citizen engagement leads to active participation in scientific experiments and data collection.

The OECD is working with member and non-member economies to review policies to promote open science and to assess their impact on research and innovation. See more in the report Making Open Science a Reality. As part of this work, it is conducting an assessment of the impact of the OECD Principles and Guidelines for Access to Research Data from Public Funding that were published a decade ago.

Furthermore, digitalisation is changing science and although a world of open science and big data holds enormous promise, it presents new challenges for policymakers, scientific institutions and individual researchers. Read our latest insights:

• Brief: Why open science is key to combatting COVID-19
• Enhanced access to publicly funded data for science, technology and innovation
• Policy note: Fostering science and innovation in the digital age
• Open and inclusive collaboration in science: A framework
  
• Co-ordination and support of international research data networks
  
• Open research agenda setting
  
• Digital platforms for facilitating access to research infrastructures
  
• Business models for sustainable research data repositories

 

Further reading

• OECD Global Science Forum
• OECD Going Digital project
• OECD international survey of scientific authors
• More OECD work on science and technology