Open Science

Open Science is an approach to the scientific process that aims to make every stage of research transparent and accessible, from data collection and analysis to the publication of results. The objective of Open Science is to foster collaboration among researchers, enhance the reproducibility of research through data sharing and reuse, and broaden the dissemination of scientific knowledge for the benefit of society.

Open Science good practices include:

• Open FAIR data: research data should comply with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), ensuring, wherever possible, access to information for appropriate reuse.
• Open Access to research results: publications reporting the results of publicly funded research should be openly accessible.
• Use of open methodologies and open-source software: sharing workflows and open software can contribute to making research reproducible and verifiable.
• Innovative evaluation processes: research assessment should take into account collaboration, sharing and transparency throughout the research process, rather than focusing solely on published outputs. This involves adopting more open, inclusive and qualitative metrics capable of recognising not only traditional publications but also real-world impact, knowledge sharing and new forms of scientific dissemination.
• Open education: making learning and teaching resources freely available under open licences.

The University of Pisa signed the Messina Declaration of 4 November 2004, “Italian Universities for Open Access: Towards Open Access to Scientific Literature”, through which Italian universities committed themselves to supporting the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities (2003).

In 2014, the University also signed the Road Map 2014–2018, a document drafted on the tenth anniversary of the Messina Declaration, reaffirming its commitment to implementing institutional policies aimed at promoting Open Access and enhancing the international visibility of Italian research.

In March 2023, the University joined CoARA (Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment) and adopted its CoARA Work Plan.

Commitment to Open Access policies is explicitly recognised in the University Statute (Article 4, paragraph 2) and in the Code of Ethics (Article 10).

The University’s Guidelines on Open Science specify how this commitment is to be implemented in practice.

The University has also established an Open Science Committee (appointed by Academic Senate Resolution no. 120/2024 of 10 May 2024 and formally established by Rector’s Decrees no. 1792 of 29 July 2024 and no. 684 of 19 May 2026), supported technically by the Open Science Working Group (appointed by Director-General’s Order no. 453 of 24 May 2024).

ARPI, the University of Pisa Research Archive, collects publications and documentation relating to the scientific research outputs of University staff.

European Policy

Open Science is a policy priority for the European Commission and the standard mode of operation within European research and innovation funding programmes, as it improves the quality, efficiency and responsiveness of research.

Useful links

• Open Science – European Commission
• European Open Science Cloud (EOSC)
• Italian Open Science Portal
• CoARA
• San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)

Useful documents

• University Guidelines on Open Science
• National Plan for Open Science
• Open Science: A Practical Guide for Researchers (Circle U.)