Open Scientific Publications and Research Data

1. Open Scientific Publications

Open scientific publications refer to free, immediate, online access to peer-reviewed scientific research, without financial, legal, or technical barriers. This includes scientific articles, book chapters, conference papers, and other forms of published research that are freely available to everyone to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to full texts, and to use for any lawful purpose, with mandatory acknowledgement of original authorship.

2. Open Research Data

Open research data refers to research data that other researchers can freely download, analyse, combine with other data, and reuse in their own research. Data sharing increases research transparency, enables the replication of results, encourages new analyses and discoveries, and maximises the return on research investment. Open research data becomes truly valuable when they are accompanied by high-quality open metadata.

3. Metadata

Metadata is ‘data about data’ – it describes the characteristics, context, quality, and conditions of use of the research data itself. Standardised and open metadata formats ensure that data can be easily found, understood, and cited, which is essential for its reuse and integration into broader scientific knowledge. Metadata is crucial for the application of research data because it allows a potential user to fully understand what the data represents, how it was collected, who collected it, when it was collected, and for what purpose the study was conducted. In addition, metadata clearly defines how the data may be used and highlights its potential limitations.

An example of metadata is a researcher’s identification number in CroRIS. A scientist’s ID is data that describes and identifies the subject (the researcher) associated with specific research data or publications within the CroRIS information system.

Examples of metadata for a scientific article include the Title, Authors, Keywords, DOI, and Funding Source.

4. Open Source

Open source means that the source code of certain tools is publicly available under an open licence. This allows other researchers to verify methodologies, identify potential errors, adapt tools to their specific needs, and contribute to their further development, which significantly enhances the transparency and reliability of scientific results. The main advantages of open source in scientific research include transparency of methodologies, the ability to verify and improve tools, and facilitated collaboration.

A well-known example of an open-source repository is GitHub. GitHub is a web-based platform that serves as a central space for software development. Its primary function is to enable version control of programming code and efficient collaboration. By using the Git tool, GitHub helps developers, whether working individually or as part of a team, to systematically manage their projects.

GitHub allows users to store projects in repositories, making them easily accessible for sharing and collaboration. It offers a wide range of functionalities, the most important of which are:

• Version control – GitHub records every change in the code over time. This allows you to revert to any previous version of the project, compare the changes made, and see exactly who modified something and when.
• Joint collaboration – The platform is designed for teamwork. It allows multiple developers to work on the same project simultaneously, facilitating the exchange of ideas and contributions.

These features make GitHub an essential tool for professional, team-based software development.

5. Open Research Infrastructure

An open research infrastructure is key to the development of science and innovation. It includes not only technical systems such as scientific equipment, computer networks, archives, and data repositories, but also the organizational framework for their effective management. At the core of open infrastructure are repositories – digital platforms for the submission, storage, and dissemination of research data. These can be institutional, national, regional, or disciplinary. The advantage of disciplinary repositories lies in their increased visibility, as they are recognised as central hubs for specific scientific fields, ensuring that data reaches the appropriate audience.

Effective research data management is a complex process. It involves supporting researchers throughout the entire data lifecycle, preparing data for archiving and reuse, promoting repository content, and providing continuous user education.

The following link is available in Croatian only. Participants may use free AI-powered translation tools to access the provided materials.

The Plan for the Development of Research Infrastructure in the Republic of Croatia (2023–2027) emphasises that Croatian research infrastructures must be based on the following principles:

• FAIR data principles – data should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable, with the mandatory application of Open Research Data Management (ORDM)
• Open and transparent access to all stakeholders under equal conditions
• Strengthening international cooperation and the visibility of Croatian scientists
• Encouraging scientific excellence and consolidating the research community at the national level
• application of the principles of sustainable development, circular economy, and bioeconomy, and promoting equality and equal opportunities

In line with this vision, one of the key priorities up to 2027 is for research infrastructures to actively promote open access and collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including other research infrastructures, higher education institutions, businesses, and civil society.

6. Open Peer Review

Open peer review is a key practice of open science that aims to increase transparency and accountability in the evaluation of scientific papers, thereby contributing to the openness of the entire scientific process.

The traditional peer-review process is often anonymous, which can sometimes result in bias or less constructive feedback. Open peer review introduces greater transparency into this critical stage of scientific communication. There are various models of open peer review, ranging from revealing the identities of authors and reviewers to the public publication of review reports.

The overall aim is to improve the quality of reviews, increase accountability among all participants, and provide a richer context for published research.

7. FAIR Principles

The effective use of open research data depends on the application of the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), which ensure that data can be easily located, accessed, combined, and reused by the wider scientific community.

Data should be managed in accordance with FAIR guidelines, which include a series of steps for their proper management, access to documentation necessary for understanding the data, as well as protocols, instruments, and software code used to collect and prepare the data for analysis. It is also essential to create a standard metadata description, assign persistent identifiers, and, where possible, use open licenses.

In cases where open licences cannot be applied, data can still be FAIR, provided it is closed only to the extent necessary. This is most often done to protect research participants or sensitive information. Even in such cases, metadata should remain publicly available, and the conditions for accessing the data should be clearly defined.

Universities and their constituent institutions must provide comprehensive support to researchers in managing research data throughout the entire project lifecycle. Researchers should store their data in trustworthy disciplinary or thematic repositories, if such are available and relevant to their field. This increases the visibility of data within specific scientific communities. When specialized repositories are not an option, data is stored in institutional repositories. In both cases, priority should be given to repositories that are part of the national infrastructure, ensuring long-term sustainability, interoperability, and compliance with national open science guidelines.

8. Institutional Repositories in Croatia

Institutional repositories are a key element of the infrastructure that ensures open access to scientific publications, data, and other research outputs. In Croatia, they play a crucial role in increasing the visibility of national research by enabling researchers to easily store and share their work.

The following links and documents are available in Croatian only. Participants may use free AI-powered translation tools to access the provided materials.

DABAR (Digital Academic Archives and Repositories) is a national platform that serves as the central infrastructure for institutional repositories. It enables academic institutions to securely store and share digital objects, from scientific papers to research data. DABAR supports various types of content and ensures compliance with the principles of open science, thereby significantly increasing the accessibility of information and resources for researchers. It is available via the relevant link.

PUH is a system that the University Computing Centre (SRCE) offers to the academic and scientific community for reliable storage and sharing of files on SRCE's storage systems. PUH enables flexible storage and sharing of:

• data during research projects
• larger amounts of educational content/materials related to e-learning systems (belonging to SRCE or institutions)
• data related to the process of education or research within the science and higher education system
• data for SRCE's internal needs

It is available via the relevant link.

Edutorij is the Croatian national repository of digital educational content and serves as a central place for storage, publication, exchange, evaluation, and retrieval of digital educational materials. Its main purpose is to make digital educational materials available to all students, teachers, and parents in the Republic of Croatia, in accordance with the principles of open education.

It is available via the relevant link.

9. Conclusion

Open Science is a comprehensive concept that extends far beyond free access to scientific publications. It also includes open research data, whose effective use is enabled through the application of the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). These principles ensure that data are not only accessible but also meaningfully documented, supported by standardised metadata and persistent identifiers, which allow reuse and integration. Open source contributes through methodological transparency and enhanced collaboration, while open research infrastructure, including systems such as DABAR and PUH in Croatia, provides technical and organizational support for long-term storage and sharing.

Strategic planning and investment in these areas are essential for Croatia to promote excellence, strengthen international cooperation, and ensure that science reaches its full potential for societal benefit.

Namely, the traditional (closed) model implies that scientific papers and data are available through fees, which has a certain advantage due to quality control, but its main disadvantage is limiting accessibility and slowing down progress. The open model advocates for the free availability of knowledge and resources to all. Its advantages are greater transparency, accessibility, and faster dissemination. The challenges surrounding the open model in Croatia include the discussion about expensive publishing fees (APC), evaluation systems, and limited resources for building and maintaining the necessary infrastructure. Although open science is an inevitable global trend that Croatia must follow, it is crucial to realistically adapt policies to ensure the necessary financial and technical support.

The planning of infrastructure and other resources required for open publications and research data cannot be carried out on an ad hoc basis, but instead requires a strategic approach. For this reason, it is important to link open science with strategic planning processes for the application of digital technologies, which are explored further in the course Strategic Planning for the Application of Digital Technologies.

10. Self-Assessment and Reflection Questions

1. What exactly do we mean by "open scientific publications" and what are their main characteristics? How do open research data differ from open publications, and why is data sharing beneficial for research?
2. Explain the role of metadata in the context of open research data. Why is metadata essential for the application of research data?
3. What is "open source" and what are the three main advantages of its use in scientific research?
4. Explain the term "open research infrastructure". What is its core, and what types of repositories does it include?
5. What are DABAR and PUH, and what role do they play in supporting open science and research infrastructure in Croatia?
6. State at least three principles on which the development of Croatian research infrastructure must be based according to the Development Plan for 2023–2027.
7. What is "open peer review" and how does it contribute to transparency and accountability in science compared to traditional peer review?
8. What are the main FAIR principles, and how do they ensure optimal usability of research data?
9. When open licences cannot be applied, how can data still be FAIR?

11. References

Otvorena znanost u Hrvatskoj. (b.d.). Otvoreni pristup.

Otvorena znanost u Hrvatskoj. (b.d.). Otvorena istraživačka infrastruktura.

Ministry of Science and Education. (2023). Plan razvoja istraživačke infrastrukture u Republici Hrvatskoj 2023. – 2027.

Končić, I. (2021). FAIR principi ili kako biti FAIR s istraživačkim podacima. Library of the
Ruđer Bošković Institute.

University of Zagreb, University Computing Center (Srce). (b.d.). Dabar – Digitalni akademski arhivi i repozitoriji.

University of Zagreb, University Computing Center (Srce). (b.d.). Pohrana i upravljanje podacima Puh.