Choosing open science approaches

Topics on this page:

• Open science policies
• Planning ahead for open science

This topic page provides context for researchers interested in applying open science practices, but who are unsure which approaches are most appropriate. The information presented here may also be useful for developing policies related to open science and/or open access.

Open science policies

When considering what open science practices to adopt for a specific project, it is useful to consider the stakeholders in such decisions, such as the funding agency sponsoring the research, host institution at which the research is being conducted, and/or journal in which research will be published. Each of these entities may have expectations surrounding publishing protocols, availability of data, sharing code, and accessibility of publications. Even if these groups do not have requirements for open science approaches, they may support or provide access to resources that can make your open science endeavors easier to enact.

If you are part of a project receiving funding from CZI, please see our CZI grantees page for more information about expectations for open science methods as well as resources available to you.

For examples of policies and guidelines related to open science, please see the following:

• Journals: eLife, PLOS
• Funders: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust
• Universities: University of California, Harvard University

Please also see the sections of this website for protocols, software and code, data, and preprints and publications for more examples of best practices related to sharing each of those research outputs.

Planning ahead for open science

Engaging in open science practices is easier the earlier you start planning for them! The following strategies are recommended to help you think about how you’ll share research outputs both during the research process as well as upon its completion:

• Data management plan: A data management plan (DMP) is required by some funding agencies with submission of a grant application, but can more generally represent a project’s strategy for collecting, storing, and publishing data. For more information on the elements of a data management plan and examples of how to write them, see the Data section.
• Software management plan: A software management plan identifies a software project’s strategy for sustainability, including the development process and governance for the project. For more information on how to write a software management plan and example documents, see the Software and code section.
• Collaborative agreements: Decisions to apply open science practices are the responsibility of all research collaborators. For general information about developing a new collaborative relationship for scientific research, see Ten Simple Rules for a Successful Collaboration. Guidelines for Negotiating Scientific Collaboration includes additional information for discussing when and how research deliverables will be shared. For projects involving computationally-intensive components, Ten simple rules for providing effective bioinformatics research support may also provide valuable context for differentiating duties among collaborators.