UZH Open Science Policy

The University of Zurich (UZH) is committed to free and Open Science practices that includes open exchange, transparency, reproducibility and accountability. The aim is to increase the quality and effectiveness of research as well as the benefits to society.

The UZH Open Science Policy is in effect since September 2021. It takes into account the national Open Access strategy of swissuniversities and the Open Science Roadmap of the League of European Research Universities (LERU).

With this policy, the university creates the necessary conditions to be able to integrate the practices and values ​​of an open academic culture into the structure of the UZH and its processes. The aim is to establish Open Science as the norm.

Recommendations for research and teaching

The policy describes a shared vision and offers recommendations for action on how Open Science can be integrated into academic practices and teaching at UZH. It also serves as a basis for UZH to promote an open scientific culture at the local, national and international level. The potential of Open Science can only be fully exploited if this approach becomes an integral part of research practice worldwide.

Priorities of the policy

The policy has three focal points:

1. Access

Public and free access to scientific results and data, codes, teaching materials and publications is a core concern of Open Science.

2. Research methods

Research methods should improve the reproducibility, replicability, transparency, and efficiency of scientific results.

3. Culture change

Ultimately, the benefits of Open Science can only be fully reaped if there is a cultural change in university structures and in the way researchers work. This also includes the way in which scientific achievements are assessed.

Implementation of the policy

The various research disciplines play a central role in implementing the recommendations set out in the policy. Therefore, additional discipline-specific requirements can be defined.

Origins

The OS Policy was initiated and developed by the Open Science Office (Katherine Hermans & Manuela Höfler) and the former Open Science delegates (Mark Robinson & Marc Thommen) from 2020 to 2021 .