SPARCEuropeAnnualReport2016

In2016,SPARCEuropehasbeenpavingthewayforthetypeofworkitintendstofocusonbetweennowand2020.AfterstructuredconsultationwithOpenScienceandScholarship(OS)Europeanleaders,andbyconductingresearchintoOpenScienceactivityinEuropein2016,SPARCEurope(SE)nowhasastrategicplanandaworkplanthatwillstrivetomake‘Open’thedefault.Ithasstartedtodothisin2016byshowcasingOpenScience/ScholarshipprogressinEuropeandpromotingdiscourse,bymakingstepstowardssustainingOSservices,contributingtoculturalchangeintheresearchcommunity,andbygainingmoreofanunderstandingastowhatneedstobedoneformoreOpenScienceinEurope.1

1. EstablishingthestrategyforSPARCEuropein2016-2020

SPARCEuropepublishedanewstrategicplaninearly2016usinginputfromitsmembers,interviewdatafrom25keyOpenSciencestakeholders,aSWOTanalysis,anOpenAgendaorganisationmapping,andrecommendationsfromanindependentconsultant.

Ournewvisionis:

“Drivingtomakemoreresearchaccessibletoall,andstrivingtomake‘Open’thedefaultinEurope–fortheacademiccommunity,education,industry,andsociety.”

Ourmissionis:

“ToprovideleadershiptoEurope’sresearchcommunitytoenabletheconditions,opportunitiesandrightsformoreaccesstoEurope’sresearchforall.”

Sincethereismuchtobedonetomake‘Open’thedefaultintheareasofscienceandscholarship,SPARCEuropewillfocusonOpenAccesstoPublications,OpenPeerReview,OpenData,andOpenEducationalResources,aswellasResearchEvaluation,andResearchIntegrityinthecomingyears.Itwillcontinuetoteamupwithconsultantstoaccomplishmoreintheseareas,andwillworktogetherwithotherorganisationsthatprioritiseOpenScience.

Formoreonourworkplan,seebelow.

2. HelpingcreateOpenculturalchange

SPARCEuropelaunchedEurope’sOpenAccessChampionsin2016andwontheLIBERInnovationAwardforitinthesameyear.FourteenSPARCEuropememberscontributedtothisshowcaseofstoriesandvisionsfromOpenAccess(OA)leadersfromtheresearchcommunitiesofvariousEUcountriesanddisciplines.SPARCEuropewasconsequentlyinvitedtowriteanarticleandachapter,andpresentatseveralmoreeventsinEuropetoemphasisetheimportanceofchangingculturethroughmoredirectengagementwithresearchersandresearchadministrators.In2016,SPARCEuropealsobeganworkonEurope’sOpenDataChampions,whereitisfocussingonthosewhoaretakingsignificantactiontoopenuptheirandtheircolleagues’datainEurope.ThisisinlinewiththeSPARCEuropebeliefthatstimulatingthegoodpracticeofsharingopendata,openaccessoropeneducationalresourcesamongstpeersintheresearchcommunitywillhelpinspireotherstoadoptmoreOpenresearchpractice.

1PleasenotethatanumberofstrategicactivitieshadbeendeferreduntilasuitableDirectorwasinplace.ThiswasachievedinNovember2016.

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3. ShowcasingthestrongOpenScienceworkofothers

AspartofitspluralisticapproachtoOpenresearchpracticeandtomaking‘Open’thedefault,SPARCEuropecontinuedtodomoreworktoaccentuatetheresultsofsomeofEurope’sOpenSciencekeyinfluencers.Forexample,itsummarisedandpublicisedprogressmadebytheEuropeanUnionontheAmsterdamCallforActiononOpenScience,andresultsoftheCompetitiveCouncil.ItfurthermoresupportedtheEuropeanCommission’sProposalforaDirectiveoftheEuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncilonCopyrightinaSingleMarketbywritingaformalresponse.SPARCEuropewasinunisonwiththeviewsexpressedbyLIBER,LERUandEBLIDA.

SPARCEuropealsostartedwithanewsetofactivitiestopromotediscourseonsomeofthesignificantworkbeingdonetoimplementOpenScienceinEurope.Inlate2016,SPARCEuropehighlightedsomeoftheworkofMaxPlanckbyinvitingDrRalfSchimmertowriteapaperon“Makingmovestothelarge-scaletransitiontoOpenAccess”.Tostimulatediscourseonhisapproach,SPARCEuropeinvitedarangeofexpertstoprovideavarietyofopinionsonhisvision.Inthecomingyears,SPARCEuropeintendstopromotearangeofapproachestoOpenScienceledbysomeofEurope’sOSleaders.Insodoing,itwillhelpreach,informandengagemoreofEuropeandbringtheOpenSciencesupportcommunityuptospeedwithprogressinOpenScienceandScholarship.

4. SupportingthesustainabilityofOpenScienceservices

2016alsosawSPARCEuropecarryforwardtheworkdonebyKnowledgeExchangeanditsPuttingdownroots,SecuringthefutureofOpenAccesspolicies.SPARCEuropeisfacilitatingworktoexplorehowtoimplementthiswork.Asaresult,agroupofResearchPerformingOrganisations(universitiesandresearchinstitutions)andResearchFunderOrganisationshavemettwicetoexploretheestablishmentofaCommitteethatcouldhelpfundessentialOpenScienceservicesinfuture,ie.‘AGlobalSustainabilityCommitteeforOpenScienceServices.’ThisgroupcurrentlyincludesAOASGandCAULfromAustralasia,COAR,EIFL,EUA,theEuropeanResearchCouncil,DGResearchandInnovationattheEuropeanCommission,ScienceEurope,IFLA,LIBER,SPARCandSPARCEurope.

ThevisionistohaveanOpenScienceinfrastructureoffreelyavailableOpenScienceservicesfundedbypolicymakersandstakeholders,committingtoprovidesustainablefundingfortheoperationanddevelopmentofkeyservices.Themissionistoprovideanewco-ordinatedcost-sharingframeworktoensurethatnon-commercialOSservicesthatunderpinthedevelopmentofwiderglobalOpenSciencearesustainedinthefuture.

Togetherwiththegroup,SPARCEuropehasworkedonthetermsofreference,thecase,elementsofgovernance,andwhatinformationneedstobeprovidedbythoseserviceprovidersrequestingfunding.2017willseewhetherinternationalorganisationswillnowjoinsuchacommitteetocarryoutpilots.

5. MappingOpenScienceinEurope

Inrecentyears,EuropehasseenanaccelerationinOpenScience/Scholarshippolicy(OS),serviceoffers,infrastructuredevelopment,andacontinuingneedforsupportingculturalchange.TheseareasareincreasinglybeingaddressedbymanyorganisationsacrossEuropethatserveResearchFunderOrganisations(RFOs),ResearchPerformingOrganisations(RPOs),theirlibrariesanddiverseresearchcommunities.BeforeSPARCEuropestartedworktoseehowtostrengthenOSsupportinEurope,itwantedtolookatwhowascurrentlyprovidingwhattypesofservicesinEurope.FindingsinthispreliminaryreportshowthatorganisationsseemtobelargelyofferingOSinformationandknowledgeaggregationservices;recommendationsandguidelines,briefingorpositionpapers;trainingandeducationalactivitiessuchaswebinars,workshopsandconferences.

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SPARCEuropewillfurtherinvestigatehowfarstakeholdergroups,goalsandactualactivitiesoverlapinparticularareas,tobeabletodeterminewheremoresynergiescanhelpmakefurtherprogress,andwhereonecanperhapsspeakmoreinunison.ThesmallstudyalsohighlightedpotentialgapswhensupportingyoungresearchersandOpenScience/Scholarship;intheareasofpolicyenforcementandmonitoring;inOpenScienceleadershipcapacity-building;andinOpenEducationalResource(OER)work.SPARCEuropewillthereforetargetsomeoftheseareasinfutureyears,includingpolicyandyoungresearchersupportandOER.

Formoreinformationonallresults,seethereporthere.

6. InformingandliaisingwiththeOpenSciencecommunity

AspartofSPARCEurope’sadvocacywork,itcommissionedaBusinessPlanToolkitforPublishinganOpenAccessJournal.ThishelpsothersdevelopabusinessplantomakethecaseforanOAjournal.Itincludesguidance–forresearchinstitutionsintendingonpublishinganOAjournal–ondescribingthebusinessventure,themarket,governanceandownership,operations,marketing,financialplanningandriskassessment,forexample.

SPARCEuropehostedaworkshopinHelsinkiin2016asasatellitetoitsmembers’meetingandtoLIBER’sAnnualConferenceonMaking‘Open’theDefault.ItprimarilybroughttogetherOpenAccessChampionsfromCroatia,France,Norway,andtheUKtosharetheirviewsonwhatlibrariesand,aboveall,researcherscandotomake‘Open’thedefault.Participantsdiscussedtheirapproaches,experiencesandvisions,sharingtheminadifferentcontextamongstpeersfromdifferentdomains,bringingthemandtheaudiencenewinsightsintothepathahead.

SPARCEuropealsopresentedatseveralinternationaleventsin2016,including:

§ LIBERAnnualConference2016,29June-1July2016,Helsinki

§ RepositoryFringe2016,1-2August2016,Edinburgh

§ MuninConferenceonScholarlyPublishing,21-22November2016,Tromso

Whilstplanningitsworkplanforthecomingfouryears,SPARCEuropeattendedandactivelycontributedtosomeofthefollowing:

• OpenScienceConference,TheNetherlandsEUPresidency,4-5April2016,Amsterdam

• GreenLightforOpenAccess:AligningEurope’sOAPolicies,Pasteur4OAFinalConference,17-18May2016,Amsterdam

• MakingOpentheDefaultinScholarlyCommunication,andtheImplicationsfortheFutureofLibraries,QQML2016,25May2016,London

• FOSTERFinalMeeting,28June2016,Helsinki

• OpenKnowledgeLeadersProgramme,16-17July2016,Berlin,andonlineprogramme

• OpenAccessTage,10-11October2016,Berlin

• NationalPointsofReferenceMeeting,EuropeanCommission,10November2016,Brussels

• OpenCONBerlin,25-26November2016,Berlin

• LondonInfoInternational,6-7December2016,London

SPARCEuropewasfurthermoreinvitedtowriteachapterforaCroatianbookonOpenAccessinScienceandHigherEducationbySkolskaKnjiga,2017(forthcoming).

WiththeviewtoworkmorecloselywithorganisationswhereOpenScienceisapriority,SPARCEuropehasalsohadinitialexploratorytalkswithSPARC(US),LIBER,OpenAIRE,COAR,EIFLandOASPA,aswellaswithfunderssuchastheWellcomeTrustandtheEuropeanCommission’sDG

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Research&Innovation,aswellaswithsomeofitsmembers.SPARCEurope’svisionandimplementationplansseemtobeinlinewithandcomplementarytocurrentworkbeingcarriedoutinEuropeintheareaofOpenScience.SPARCEuropeverymuchlooksforwardtoworkingtogetherwiththesedriversandothersinthecomingyearstohelpmake‘Open’thedefault.

7. Planningtheworktobedonetohelpmake‘Open’thedefault

AsaninternationalorganisationwithaEuropeanfocus,SPARCEuropewillcontinuetoinfluenceOpenScholarshipleadershipinEuropetodevelopOpenpolicy,anditwillfacilitatetheimplementationofthatpolicytohelpensure‘Open’indeedbecomes‘Open’.SPARCEuropewillprovideadvocacy,guidance,toolsandservicestofacilitatethis,andwillfocusonaggregatingEurope’sknowledgeonOpenSciencetospeedupprogressinternationally.

WhatwillbeessentialistosupportandstrengthenthesometimesrichbutfragmentedanddisparateOpenScholarship(OS)supportinEuropesincetheOSlandscapehasbecomesofertileinrecentyears.Furthermore,awiderangeofdecision-makersallplayanintegralpartinmaking‘Open’thedefault,i.e.RPOresearchmanagers,funders,researchsocietiesandacademies,andresearchassessmentbodies.Inthiscontext,SPARCEuropewillstrivetohelpmorecommunitiesintheirgoalstoachievemoreOpennessfromthefunding,researchevaluation,scientificandlibrarycommunities,tocreatemorefruitfulandsustainableOpenScholarshipresults.

FourprogrammeswillframeSPARCEurope’sworkofthecomingyears:

I. InfluenceEurope’sOpenScienceandScholarshipdecision-makersandscholarsTargetingadditionalstakeholderssuchasfunders,researchassessmentbodiesaswellas deansandresearchmanagement;buildingontheworkofchampions;bringingEuropean goodpracticeonopensciencepolicytopolicymakers;andsupportingyoungresearchers

II. SupportandstrengthentheOpenScholarship(OS)supportcommunityinEurope Highlightingand addressinggapsandoverlapsintheEuropeanOSoffering;and facilitatinghowtobettersustain OSservicesinthefuture

III. Provideadvocacy,guidance,toolsandservicesinsupportoftheimplementationand monitoringofopenpoliciesBuildingtheSPARCEuropechampionsprogramme(OpenDataandOER)andprovidingtools andoutputstosupportresearchleaders/managersandfunderstowardsmoreopenness.

IV. CarryoutEuropeaninformation-gatheringanddissemination,includingthesharingofgood practiceandEuropeanexperienceConductingshortlandscapesstudiesorcasestudies;showcasingstrongOSworkand facilitatingthedisseminationofmoreEuropeannewsonOS.

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8. StrengtheningtheSPARCEuropebrand

SPARCEuropehasreviseditslogo,andhasanewcorporatedesignthatisreflectedinnewpresentationanddocumenttemplatesconveyingmoreopennessandclarity.Acompletelynewwebsiteisalsocurrentlyunderwaytobepublishedinveryearlyspring.Asnapshotofthenewdesignispresentedbelow.

Thankyouforsupportingusinmakingfurtherchangeby

beingaSPARCEuropemember