» Plenary Session 1: International Open Science in 2020

"2020 could prove a pivotal year for Open Science and the transformation of research practice, scholarly communications and the stewardship of research data. The challenges and opportunities of the digital revolution have been evident for some time and the influence of technological and societal transformations can be detected in research and communication practice in a number of domains. For a number of years, certain research funders on the one hand and certain research communities on the other have advocated improved data stewardship through the FAIR principles and more open data and scholarly practices.

Through the European Open Science Cloud and the adoption of data management plans and the FAIR principles, the European Commission has been for a number of years a strenuous advocate of Open Science for good research practice and as a driver of innovation.  The International Science Council’s Action Plan gives prominence to digital transformations and Open Science as epochal issues for global scientific coordination.  UNESCO is preparing an international standard-setting instrument in the form of a Recommendation on Open Science, for approval at the 2021 General Assembly.  By drawing attention to the need for international cooperation, real time data sharing and rigorous scientific transparency the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the convergence of Open Science and FAIR data...."