This platform allows you to explore initiatives related to open science. Below, we explain how to navigate and make the most of its potential.
What will you find in each descriptive record of the initiative?
Each record provides key information about a highlighted experience. Its structure follows a standard format to make it easier to read and compare cases:
- Title and brief summary: the name of the initiative and an introductory description in summary form.
- Promoting organizations of the initiative: institutions or collectives that promote, fund, or support the initiative.
- Objectives: explanation of the problem addressed, the context, and the main objectives. Includes implementation details.
- Beneficiaries and stakeholders: people, collectives, or institutions that benefit from the initiative, as well as agents involved in its development.
- Results: direct or indirect impacts generated (products, institutional changes, social improvements, etc.).
- Challenges in implementing: difficulties encountered and lessons learned during implementation.
- Evidence of success: elements that justify its relevance (e.g., measurable results, transferability, awards).
- Bibliography: links, documents, and references for further information.
In addition, on the right-hand side of the record, you will find a sidebar with structured information that enables filtered navigation:
- Theme: each initiative is classified according to one or more axes from the Observatory’s controlled vocabulary. These themes reflect key areas of open science.
- Open access policies: initiatives that promote regulatory frameworks to guarantee free and open access to scientific publications.
- Research data: projects that support the management, openness, reuse, and proper citation of research data.
- Digital preservation: strategies to ensure the long-term preservation of scientific knowledge in digital format.
- Open peer review: initiatives that seek transparency, participation, and traceability in the peer review process of scientific publications.
- Citizen science and social innovation: initiatives that involve citizens in the production, validation, or application of scientific knowledge, with social impact.
- New models for research evaluation: proposals to reform academic evaluation systems by prioritizing quality, openness, and social impact.
- Open educational resources: production, use, and dissemination of educational materials that are freely accessible, reusable, and adaptable.
- Implementation scale: the territorial level at which the initiative is applied.
- Local: focused on a specific institution, municipality, or small community.
- Regional: covers a sub-national region or autonomous community.
- National: implemented at a country-wide level.
- European: driven or linked to European programs.
- International: with global reach or implemented in multiple countries.
- Responsible agent(s): entities, collectives, or profiles leading or coordinating the initiative.
- Libraries: university or specialized documentation services, playing a key role in access, data, and preservation.
- Universities (governing bodies): rectorates, vice-rectorates, or other institutional structures with strategic leadership capacity.
- Researchers: research groups, principal investigators, or other academic figures directly involved.
- Managers: technical or administrative teams responsible for implementing open science policies and services.
- Publishers: entities dedicated to academic publishing or content management.
- Location: country or region where the initiative is implemented.
- Keywords: key terms that describe the initiative, selected to support searchability.
- Start and end date: year the initiative began and, if applicable, ended.
- Sustainability: indicates whether the initiative is currently active or was a one-off experience (filterable by Yes or No).
- Downloadable PDF file: complete record in PDF format for download, archiving, or printing.
How to search?
TYou can explore good initiatives in three ways, from the search page:
🧩 1. Filter by taxonomies
Taxonomies are standardized categories that allow for coherent and cross-cutting classification of the initiatives. They are used to label key aspects such as thematic area, responsible entities, or implementation scale.
You can apply several filters simultaneously using the following dropdown menus:
- Theme: the area of open science addressed by the initiative (e.g., Research data, Digital preservation, etc.).
- Implementation scale: territorial level (local, regional, national, European, or international).
- Responsible agents: type of entity or group promoting the initiative (universities, libraries, researchers, etc.).
- Location: country or region where the initiative takes place.
- Keywords: representative terms that describe the content or focus of the initiative.
The filters are connected to a controlled vocabulary, ensuring consistent classification and facilitating transversal searches across related initiatives. This system allows you to explore content grouped by shared criteria.
🎯 2. Search by specific fields
If you need a more precise search, you can enter terms directly in specific fields within the profiles. This option allows you to locate targeted information in structured elements of the initiatives.
You can search by the following fields:
- Title
- Summary
- Promoting organizations
- Objectives
- Beneficiaries and stakeholders
- Results
- Challenges
- Evidence of success
- Sustainability
This method is especially useful if you know where the relevant information is located or want to fine-tune your results.
🔍 3. Free text search
This option allows you to perform an open search across the entire content of the initiatives. If you enter a word or phrase (e.g., “responsible assessment”) into the search bar, the system will return all profiles that contain those terms anywhere in the text.
It is particularly helpful if you have a general idea of what you’re looking for and want to explore a wide range of results.
🧭 Category-based navigation
In addition to the search tools above, you can click directly on the tags shown in each profile (e.g., “Responsible entity: University” or “Thematic area: Citizen Science”). This will lead you to a list of initiatives associated with that category, making it easy to explore related content thematically and intuitively.