The RECODE Project: Enabling Open Access To Research Data

Marina Angelaki | Research Information | November 17, 2014

The discourse on open access to research data is aligned with the notion of rigorous science and the societal and economic benefits obtained from it. National and international funders have demonstrated massive support for open access to publications and research data in recent years.  According to the European Commission, 'open access to scientific research data enhances data quality, reduces the need for duplication of research, speeds up scientific progress and helps in combating scientific fraud'.1  

The development of open access to research data has also been facilitated by technological advancements that give rise to new ways of making use of data and opening up new opportunities for communication and collaboration among scientists.  The increasing use of computational technologies, allowing the massive datasets to be explored, has in essence led to the transition in what has been termed the 'fourth paradigm of science' based on data-intensive computing or 'data-led science' which opens up new sources of knowledge through the development of digital means for producing, storing and manipulating data.2

Nonetheless, the transition to open access is neither easy to achieve nor cost free: it requires investments in infrastructure and technology, but more importantly it requires a change in research culture which takes time to take effect. In such a context, RECODE – an FP-7 funded project – has leveraged existing networks, communities and projects to address challenges within the open access and data dissemination and preservation sector by providing a space for European stakeholders to work together towards common solutions to shared challenges...