European Commission : CORDIS : News and Events : Why open access to knowledge is good for European research

"The final results of RECODE, a ground breaking EU-funded project which aims to encourage open access to research data all across Europe, will be discussed at a conference in Athens in January 2015. Researchers will be able to assess the feasibility – and potential social and economic benefits – of easier access to cutting edge knowledge. Open access is about the unrestricted online availability of peer-reviewed scholarly research. This efficient and cost-effective strategy can help Europe maintain excellence in science, by enabling researchers to read and build on the findings of others without restriction. National and international institutions have demonstrated increasing support for open access to publications and research data in recent years. Furthermore, the development of open access has been facilitated by technological advancements, which have opened up new opportunities for communication and collaboration among scientists. Open access also allows members of the public – taxpayers – to see the results of their investment. A great deal of scientific and medical research after all is paid for with public funds. In addition, open access means that teachers and students have access to the latest research findings throughout the world. The RECODE (Policy Recommendations for Open Access to Research Data in Europe) project was launched in 2013 in recognition of the need to build and support an open access infrastructure, and to provide a forum for European stakeholders to work together on common solutions. The end result is a series of policy recommendations in support of open access targeted national governments and research funders; research institutions; data managers; and publishers. These recommendations will be officially presented in Athens in January. The project has also succeeded in stimulating a wider debate on open access to research data. Key themes that will also be discussed in Athens include good practices in enabling the re-use of data; open research data and research cultures; government data; and future developments for open access. The sharing of good practice will help to reduce costs associated with providing open access through using existing models as a foundation. The RECODE project team also understood that the transition to open access requires both investment and a change in research culture. In order to achieve this, RECODE brought together existing networks, communities and projects to address various challenges and to work together towards common solutions. These challenges include the values of stakeholders; legal and ethical concerns; infrastructure and technology challenges; and institutional challenges. Many of these organisations are already addressing key barriers to open access, but often work in isolation or with limited contact with one another. RECODE has provided a space for European stakeholders interested in open access to research data to work together. The January conference is being organised by the National Documentation Centre and will take place at the National Hellenic Research Foundation in the heart of Athens."