Riding the digital Tsunami? Open access to and reuse of digital research data in Sweden

TrackTrack 3 (Auditorium 3)
DescriptionDatabases and raw datasets of different kinds are becoming an increasingly vital part of the infrastructure of the global science system, often used and reused beyond the endeavour of the original aim for which they were gathered.  Free and open access to research data increases the return from public investments and facilitates the wider progress of science. And besides, government-funded research data and data collected by government funded organisations should be openly accessible for the public that provided the funding in the first place, one could claim.
 
 “Open” is indeed a popular word today; open data, open source, open standards. But what are the implications if we try the idea of implementing the notion of open access (OA) to research data? And what is the situation for OA policies when comparing Sweden with other countries in the Nordic, and in Europe?
 
 The situation for OA to research data varies in the different countries in Europe, some being more tolerant and open minded than others. Sweden has signed the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities and OA for articles and monographs has been in use for the last couple of years. However, OA to raw data, meta data and research data, also stated in the Berlin declaration, has not yet been fully implemented in Sweden.
 
 In my presentation I will present and discuss the technical, administrative and legal obstacles, benefits and conceivable disadvantages of OA to and reuse of digital research data, using the present situation in Sweden as an example in the discussion, landing in how the situation on a European scale affects the work for OA to research data on a national level

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