Reflections on the Paris Conference on Open Research Information

Authors: Stefania Amodeo, Angeliki Tzouganatou, Thanasis Vergoulis

OpenAIRE recently participated in the Paris Conference on Open Research Information. This event focused on implementing the Barcelona Declaration. Held at Sorbonne University in Paris from September 23-24, 2024, the conference brought together signatories, supporters, and diverse stakeholders committed to advancing Open Research Information across the global research ecosystem. The event showcased the growing momentum behind the urgent need for Open Research Information and highlighted the crucial role of infrastructures like OpenAIRE in making research more accessible, accountable, and integrated into institutional practices. 

The Barcelona Declaration

The Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information envisions a future where research decisions are guided by transparency and openness. With 85 signatories and growing, this declaration is reshaping the landscape of academic research. Signatories, which include organisations that conduct, fund, and evaluate research, have committed to:

• Making openness the default for the research information we use and produce
• Working with services and systems that support and enable Open Research Information
• Supporting the sustainability of infrastructures for Open Research Information
• Supporting collective action to accelerate the transition to openness of research information.

These commitments represent a paradigm shift in how research is conducted, shared, and evaluated, paving the way for a more inclusive and innovative scientific community.

Conference Highlights & OpenAIRE's role

The meeting highlighted how the Open Research movement is being shaped by both the leadership of the declaration's signatories and the contributions of its infrastructure supporters. Signatories are leading this transformation, driving policies that prioritise openness, while infrastructures like OpenAIRE are instrumental in embedding openness as a standard, an integral part of the research process.

OpenAIRE's role, particularly through its OpenAIRE Graph - one of the world's largest research knowledge databases - is significant in advancing Open Science by enhancing research discoverability and assessment, aligning with the Barcelona Declaration's goals.

The OpenAIRE Graph, with its community-driven governance model, ensures long-term viability and relevance, making it a cornerstone of Open Research Infrastructure. This powerful tool enhances research by:

• Facilitating seamless navigation of the research landscape
• Enabling comprehensive citation analysis
• Granting access to a wide array of research outputs
• Serving as an open, robust alternative to commercial databases
• Monitoring the adoption of Open Science policies

OpenAIRE's commitment extends beyond tool provision. We actively participate in international collaborations, such as the CoARA initiative for reforming research assessment. At the conference, OpenAIRE representatives Thanasis Vergoulis and Angeliki Tzouganatou presented on "Harmonizing the Barcelona Declaration and CoARA Efforts: Advancing Open Infrastructures for Responsible Research Assessment". The presentation slides are available at https://zenodo.org/records/13900059. Drawing from the ongoing work of the CoARA WG "Towards Open Infrastructures fit for Responsible Research Assessment'' (OI4RRA), it was showcased how the Working Group is developing principles and practices to ensure infrastructures foster transparency, fairness, inclusivity, trustworthiness, and accountability, alongside a reference model, fit for Responsible Research Assessment.

Looking ahead

A major outcome of the gathering was a collaborative development of a roadmap, detailing specific actions to achieve Open Research Information goals.

On Day 2 of the conference, participants co-produced the roadmap to help signatories of the Barcelona Declaration implement their commitments through practical, actionable steps. Key focus areas included moving away from closed infrastructures, such as Web of Science and Scopus, towards open alternatives. Additional priorities focused on ensuring the sustainability of infrastructures, evaluating the quality and openness of data sources, and building evidence to highlight the benefits of open research practices. The co-produced roadmap has been announced in the conference report here and will guide these efforts in turning the Declaration's commitments into real progress towards a more open and sustainable research ecosystem.

OpenAIRE plans to collaborate with scientometric teams from the Declaration signatories, offering guidance on effectively utilising the OpenAIRE Open Research Infrastructure. Additionally, OpenAIRE has expressed interest in joining the coordination team for the Barcelona Declaration, reinforcing its commitment to advancing Open Research Information and making these commitments actionable.

The next meeting of the Barcelona Declaration will take place at the Bologna Meeting on Open Research Information in May 2025, co-organised with the Workshop on Open Citations and Open Scholarly Metadata. This event will provide a key opportunity for signatories and supporters to review progress on the roadmap, discuss next steps, and continue working towards the commitments outlined in the Declaration.