RDA and National Open Science Policies
Mapping RDA to European National Open Science Policies
Since 2013, the RDA has delivered significant value to the global research landscape by developing standards, guidelines, and tools, including metadata schemas, data management frameworks, and interoperability protocols, that enable data to be findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR).
Within the framework of the RDA TIGER European Commission funded project, the RDA Secretariat has drafted this preliminary interactive online resource that maps RDA groups, recommendations, and outputs to European national Open Science policies, demonstrating how the RDA’s community-driven approach addresses specific strategic needs across Europe.
Current as of July 2025, the mapping identifies areas where the RDA effectively supports national Open Science policies and future opportunities to strengthen the European research data landscape.
This mapping analysis serves as a proof of concept for work that can be replicated or expanded across Europe and other global regions, demonstrating the value of the RDA in various international contexts.
🔻 Click, scroll and zoom to discover how RDA supports Open Science across Europe 🔻
Results of analysis
Analysis of national Open Science policies across 27 European countries reveals distinct patterns in current policy strengths and emerging opportunities, with findings interpreted within the methodological framework described within the main body of the report.
European countries prioritise foundational Open Science infrastructure, with Repository Systems achieving universal coverage across all countries, recognising digital repositories as essential ecosystem components. Near-universal adoption of Open Access Policies, Research Data Management, Data Sharing, Data Standards, Impact Assessment, and Ethics frameworks indicates countries focus on core requirements: policies mandating access, systems for responsible data management, interoperable protocols, and ethical guidelines. These domains represent the minimum requirements for participating in the global research ecosystem, establishing the foundation for advanced Open Science practices.
Summary
The RDA provides immediate implementation opportunities for strengthening and advancing European national Open Science policies through the work of its diverse community groups. Countries could prioritise leveraging RDA frameworks for reproducibility tools, open peer review, and educational resources to address the significant policy gaps, while fostering collaboration with established RDA groups that support data management and repository systems. Cross-cutting groups, such as the Evaluation of Research IG and Sharing Rewards and Credit (SHARC) IG, offer particular value by developing alternative assessment methods that can simultaneously advance multiple emerging domains, enabling European countries to integrate emerging research practices into their national policy frameworks and advance their national Open Science strategies.
Find out more about the value of RDA to EOSC