Open science is a set of principles and practices aimed at making research accessible to everyone so that both scientists and society as a whole can benefit. The goal of open science is to ensure that research results are available and that the creation of knowledge is inclusive, fair, and sustainable.
Our interconnected world needs open science to help solve complex social, environmental, and economic problems and to achieve sustainable development goals.
In implementing open science, universities, research institutions, and the public sector play an important role alongside researchers by providing support, guidance, infrastructure, and training. Open science policies can range from those of scientific communities to institutional, national, regional, and international levels. Institutional policies (of universities or other research organizations) must take into account the specific needs, challenges, and objectives of those organizations and may support or differ from national and international policies.
Open science policies can be defined through strategies and actions aimed at promoting the principles of open science and recognizing its practices. These policies are usually established by research institutions, science funders, governments, or scholarly publishers. The original purpose of such policies was to require open dissemination of research results, based on the idea that publicly funded research outcomes should be accessible to the public without restrictions. However, the scope of these policies has now expanded, and many national policies encourage open science practices at every level of research. In addition, specific provisions are included in new and existing laws, regulations, or directives.
Open science policies can be used to: establish or promote open science practices; guide the implementation of open science; address misconduct in open science; ensure or increase funding for open science; develop capacity for open science; support cultural changes necessary to strengthen open science practices; guide organizational changes needed to foster open science practices; monitor open science and its impacts.
The European Commission has sought to promote open science policy from the outset in a comprehensive and integrated manner, covering all aspects of the research lifecycle—from scientific discovery and evaluation to knowledge sharing, publishing, and outreach activities.
Eight objectives of the EU Open Science Policy:
Estonia currently does not have a formal open science policy, but the implementation of open science principles is being considered within the framework of the Estonian Research, Development, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Strategy 2021–2035 (TAIE). The recommended principles of open science in Estonia are based on the expert committee on open science established by the Estonian Research Council in 2016, two studies conducted under the RITA program, and recommendations from the European Commission and OECD. Estonia also follows UNESCO’s recommendations on open science and requirements arising from EU funding programs.
In early 2016, the Estonian Research Council’s Open Science Expert Committee published its principles and recommendations for shaping national policy in the document “Open Science in Estonia”, which also addresses research data. The document sets Estonia’s strategic goal for 2020:
The research community understands and accepts the principles of open science and open data. Research data collected with public funding are freely accessible and reusable unless restricted by law. Research data are stored in repositories that meet established standards and are made available as soon as possible.
In 2017, two studies on open science were conducted, both including practical recommendations for implementing open science policy in Estonia. These studies were coordinated by the University of Tartu and Tallinn University together with the Estonian Academy of Sciences:
Kelli, A., Mets, T., Vider, K., Kull, I. (2017) Open Science in Estonia and Europe: Legal and Socio-Economic Approach. Tartu: University of Tartu
Toom, K., Olesk, A., Ruusalepp, R., Kaal, E., Mandre, S., Vaikmäe, R. (2017) Open Science in Estonia and Europe: Feasibility and Potential from Stakeholders’ Perspective. Tallinn: Tallinn University and Estonian Academy of Sciences
On September 1, 2019, the latest version of the Research and Development Organisation Act came into force. During its drafting, six different working groups were formed, including an open science working group, which developed the document “Estonian Open Science Framework.”
In Estonia, the collection and accessibility of data gathered during research are regulated by the Public Information Act (AvTS): (82). Scientific publications are not considered research data. [RT I, 30.11.2021, 3 – effective 10.12.2021]
Open Science Policies in Estonian Universities
Estonian universities drafted and signed the “Code of Conduct for Research Integrity” in 2017, aimed at supporting the understanding, adoption, and integration of good practices within the Estonian research community. The code describes expected researcher behavior and the responsibility of research institutions in ensuring good science, thereby increasing trust in science among individuals and the public. One part of the agreement is that Estonian researchers prefer to publish their research results in open-access scientific journals whenever possible.
University of Tartu
In 2023, the University of Tartu became the first Estonian university to sign the principles of open science in cooperation with universities in the Enlight network.
Other Estonian research institutions do not yet have an official open science policy, but all universities are taking steps toward developing principles and recommendations.
For institutions wishing to develop their open science policy, it is advisable to consider the following:
UNESCO recommendations for institutions and countries on developing open science policies: Developing policies for open science – UNESCO Digital Library.
Toolkit for policy makers on Open Science and Open Access: Model Policy on Open Science for Research Performing Organisations (RPOs), OpenAIRE.
The European Commission places special emphasis on implementing open science principles in research funded by EU programs. The goal is to promote these principles more broadly across the entire European Research Area. Therefore, the expectation is that scientific publications and research data produced under EU programs should have immediate open access, following the principle: “as open as possible, as closed as necessary.”
When planning a research project, it is important to think through and document how data will be collected and managed during the study, who will have access to the data and be responsible for it, and what will happen to the data after the project ends. For this purpose, a Data Management Plan must be created and followed throughout the project.
To guarantee the accessibility of publications and data, they should be assigned a persistent identifier such as a DOI (Digital Object Identifier). Assigning DOIs to datasets, other research objects, and publications creates an infrastructure that enables efficient discovery and citation of data and research results.
To support researchers, the DataCite Estonia Consortium has been established, ensuring the findability and usability of research data created by researchers. It also provides support to researchers, data centers, publishers, and research funders. The DataCite Estonia Consortium is connected to the global network of data centers, universities, and other research institutions through DataCite.
About the toolkit: This toolkit is a resource intended to make it as easy as possible to organize a workshop aimed at raising awareness of and facilitating discussion around the diversity of roles that contribute to research.
