Policy guidelines for open access and data dissemination and preservation

The RECODE project identified two overarching issues that are inhibiting take-up of policies related to open access to research data: a lack of a coherent open data ecosystem; and a lack of attention to the specificity of research practices, processes and forms of data collections. Against this background, the report provides policy recommendations on open access to research data targeted at key stakeholders in promoting open access: research funders; data managers; research institutions; and publishers. These recommendations will assist the above stakeholders in furthering the goals of open access to research data in each of their organizations and networks. Recommendations include both overarching and stakeholder- specific ones as suggestions to address and attend to these two issues by building on or learning from existing experience. In doing so, RECODE recognises that in some situations it is appropriate to build consensus and transfer good practice across disciplines and stakeholder groups, while in others it is appropriate to enable and support specific groups to maintain their particularity in relation to disseminating, preserving and re-using research data. In addition, for each stakeholder group good practice examples are provided that can serve as "models" for providing open access to research data. Finally, the recommendations and good practice examples will reduce "costs" associated with providing open access, as stakeholders do not need to develop their own expertise, but can use this information as a foundation to develop their own policies, support actions and initiatives.