The values and principles of Open Science

We advocate for transparency in the creation and dissemination of scientific knowledge to foster a responsible and trustworthy academic environment. 

Scientific knowledge encompasses a broad spectrum, including educational resources, research hypotheses, protocols, data, software, hardware, publications, and the processes underlying them. Transparency is a core principle of Open Science, setting the foundation for its fundamental values. 

To address the delicate balance between transparency and considerations such as intellectual property rights, privacy regulations, and knowledge safety, we endorse the principle that research outputs and processes should be "as open as possible, but as closed as necessary." We hold that all scientific work should adhere to the FAIR principles, ensuring that it is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.

We believe in the importance of making our scientific work verifiable and reproducible. 

Embracing greater transparency in the scientific process and its outcomes paves the way for innovative forms of review, reproducibility (repeating the same analysis with the same data by a different analyst), replicability (achieving similar findings using new data), and the potential for material reuse. This critical examination of results and their underlying components allows for the verification of claims and the safeguarding of the work's integrity. 

These components foster trust in scientific knowledge, providing a solid foundation for subsequent research. This, in turn, elevates the quality of research and education while expediting scientific progress.

We believe in the power of collaboration, extending not only within academia but also into broader spheres, as it significantly enriches both our research and educational endeavours. 

By ensuring that the processes and outcomes of knowledge production are accessible and can be put to meaningful use, we unlock platforms for interaction, collaboration, and active participation, involving both academic peers and societal stakeholders. 

Our commitment extends to the importance of engaging with society on matters such as the selection of research topics, academic work, and their connection to addressing real-world challenges. This engagement takes shape through effective means, including science communication and the active involvement of citizens in the scientific process, like citizen science. 

Our belief is that scientific knowledge should ultimately serve the greater good. To ensure this, we place great importance on the critical assessment of financial models related to scholarly infrastructure, copyright (and its retention), and the open licensing of scientific work. 

There is a need to be vigilant about the potential risks associated with growing dependence on commercial or foreign providers and their terms of use throughout the research life cycle. This underscores the necessity of seeking open alternatives for digital services and advocating for regulatory measures that promote fairness and accessibility in the dissemination of knowledge.

We hold the conviction that the academic realm should embody inclusivity, diversity, and equity. It must offer equal opportunities for all to engage with, benefit from, contribute to, and learn from the scientific process. 

Achieving this necessitates the establishment of transparent and inclusive academic environments and extends the commitment to inclusivity beyond academia.

From 1 January 2023, VU has implemented a new policy which makes Open Access publishing the norm. By adopting this policy, VU takes its responsibility in supporting researchers in making their publications Open Access. Thus, the policy is in line with the requirements of an increasing number of research funding providers. This creates unity and clarity for researchers. Moreover, through this approach VU focuses on creating a sustainable and affordable publication landscape. 

Under VU policy, scientific publications by VU authors should: 

• be registered in the VU Repository (PURE); 
• be made immediately Open Access under an open licence, where possible; 
• remain under the author's copyright, where possible; 
• be made available via the VU Repository (PURE). 

Download the VU Open Access policy

At VU Amsterdam, we are strongly committed to the accessibility of research data. Findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR) data are important to the visibility, verifiability and general trustworthiness of research. This policy is intended to promote: 

1. the careful handling of research data by researchers in order to enhance the impact of their research, demonstrate the scientific integrity of their research, comply with legal requirements, codes of conduct and funding bodies’ demands;
2. awareness of the importance of Research Data Management among researchers; 
3. clarity about the responsibilities regarding Research Data Management among researchers. 

This policy document summarizes the university-wide principles for careful handling of research data. At the level of the faculties, these principles are developed into faculty guidelines that comply with the central policy and cover all departments and research institutes. This document shows how the responsibilities with respect to research data are covered within VU, based on the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (previously Netherlands Code of Conduct for Academic Practice) from the VSNU, the Standard Evaluation Protocol (SEP) for Research Assessments in the Netherlands 2015-2021, the FAIR principles for research data and relevant legislation. In addition, it presents the facilities provided by VU for managing research data.

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At VU, teaching, fundamental and applied research, impact, patient care, and leadership are equally recognised and rewarded. However, staff members are not necessarily expected to specialise in all of these aspects of academia simultaneously. With a firm basis in the dual domains of teaching and research, various career paths are available to assistant, associate and full professors within the various teams, so that these academics can develop their specific talents and excel in their careers. 

We do expect academics to take their responsibilities within the university and the wider national and international academic community and society seriously, by contributing to a safe working environment and ensuring a healthy work-life balance for all staff, upholding the principles of academic integrity and Open Science, and working towards social goals. 

In this document, we elaborate on what those different career paths might look like for permanent academic staff (assistant, associate and full professors) and what VU Amsterdam principles underlay this. In line with the academic career paths, separate career policies will be developed for lecturers, early career academics and healthcare professionals at the UMCs.

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