Structure and responsibility are to be clarified. The opening up of research data is to be simple and insight into the research processes is to be clarified through external engagement and communication.” Open science is also one of the prioritised issues in the Research strategy 2023–26, which the University Board approved at its meeting on 19 December. Lund University’s intention is clear, all that remains is to roll up our sleeves and ensure the work gathers momentum.
There are good conditions in place for the work on open science to accelerate in 2023. The Research Board decided at its December meeting to approve the remit for a working group for open science and a remit for an expert group for FAIR research data. The working group for open science was appointed at the meeting and consists of Kristoffer Holmqvist, Charlotta Johnsson, Per Runeson, Johanna Sandahl and myself, acting as chair. The working group will be supplemented with two more members.
The expert group for FAIR research data will also be appointed soon. The group will be led by Professor Per Runeson, who was given the personal assignment by the Vice-Chancellor in December.
The Research strategy 2023–26 states that “the sub-area with the highest priority for the coming years is to take steps to make the management of research data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).” The capacity to efficiently and securely store and share research data is particularly important when Big Data, artificial intelligence and machine learning are rapidly changing both research and society. Even though the aim is for all research data for which there are no legal or ethical impediments to be made accessible in accordance with the FAIR principles, this is something that requires a lot of work.
New storage capacity and new technical solutions are required in order to make it easy for researchers to open up research data and simple for other researchers, companies, organisations and the public to use this data. However, focusing on just the technical side is not enough. There is also a need for close support adapted for researchers and a discussion about (and guidelines for) the type of data that should or could be opened in terms of legal and ethical aspects. If the University is to succeed in this, we need to make great efforts but there is also a need for good cooperation between LDC, the e-infrastructure unit and the expert group for FAIR research data. As I see it, there are now good conditions in place for this.
Work on open science, including FAIR research data, cannot succeed if it is solely a project for the University Management and administration. If we are to succeed, the researchers must be involved and open up science. Many researchers are already doing fantastic work in this area. In 2023, we will further strengthen and highlight this work. An exciting example of open research data is the digitalisation and opening up of a small part of the Historical Museum’s collections by Laboratoriet för Digital Arkeologi DARK Lab. If you have missed this, I recommend you have a look at Dynamic Collections | Laboratoriet för Digital Arkeologi DARK Lab (lu.se)
/Per Mickwitz
Read more
- Platform for strategic work 2023–24 | Staff Pages (lu.se) (PDF, 2 Mb)
- Dynamic Collections | Laboratoriet för Digital Arkeologi DARK Lab (lu.se)
- Report from the open science project | (lu.se) (PDF) (in Swedish)
- Lund University’s open access policy for publications and artistic works (PDF)
- The Swedish Research Council recommends open access to research data VR.se
- Horizon Europe, open science: Early knowledge and data sharing, and open collaboration.
- The EU’s priorities within open science: Open Science (europa.eu)
