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Open Science in Helmholtz and at UFZ

In 2003, Helmholtz was one of the first signatories of the "Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities". This declaration is the starting point for the community's Open Science activities.

The term Open Science refers to a cultural change in scientific working methods and communication. Open Science aims to promote an open and effective exchange of information within science and beyond. This includes free access to:

  • scientific literature (open access)
  • research data and
  • scientific software,

which should be free of charge and as far as possible not subject to any technical or legal restrictions. In September 2022, the Helmholtz Association adopted the Helmholtz Open Science Policy. The policy stipulates that scientific articles, research data and research software are to be published openly. Open Science thus becomes the standard of publication practice. The policy formulates guiding principles and sets goals. The policy creates a common framework for Open Science at our research centers and integrates the previous steps towards Open Science.