OPEN SCIENCE POLICY AT ALFRED NOBEL UNIVERSITY
1. General Provisions
1.1. The comprehensive Open Science Policy of Alfred Nobel University is a strategic document that defines the principles, foundations, and mechanisms for ensuring openness of the research outputs produced by the university community. Open science is viewed by the University as a key component of the modern research ecosystem—one that promotes democratic access to knowledge, increases transparency in academic processes, fosters scientific collaboration, and strengthens international reputation.
1.2. Open science encompasses a broad range of practices, including open access to publications, research data management and data openness, open methodologies, research reproducibility, the development of open educational resources, transparency in research funding, and the cultivation of a culture of academic integrity.
1.3. The policy is grounded in international standards and recommendations, including:
— The UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science (2021), which sets a global framework for national and institutional policies;
— The Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI, 2002), which establishes conceptual foundations of open scholarly communication;
— The DORA Declaration on reforming research assessment, emphasizing the primacy of research content over journal-based metrics;
— COPE principles on ethics of peer review and publication;
— OASPA and DOAJ recommendations defining standards for open-access journals.
The policy is also based on Ukrainian legislation, including the Laws “On Education” and “On Scientific and Scientific-Technical Activity,” the Cabinet of Ministers–approved National Plan on Open Science, as well as regulatory documents of the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance that introduce requirements for academic integrity and transparency of research results.
The University recognizes its role as a producer, disseminator, and custodian of scientific knowledge. Responsibility for implementing open science lies not only with administrative structures but with every member of the academic community—researchers, instructors, doctoral students, students, research laboratory staff, and editorial teams of academic journals.
1.4. A key condition for implementing open science at the University is the presence of:
— An institutional repository (ANU DSpace Repository) providing open access for depositing publications and research data;
— Five peer-reviewed scientific journals operating in open access and aligned with DOAJ and OASPA standards: Academy Review, Alfred Nobel University Journal of Philology, Alfred Nobel University Journal of Pedagogy and Psychology, Alfred Nobel University Journal of Law, European Vector of Economic Development;
— A digital infrastructure supporting preservation and open access (platforms, metadata, DOI assignment, archiving).
The policy applies to all forms of research outputs, including:
— journal articles;
— conference proceedings;
— analytical and technical reports;
— research data and methodologies;
— educational materials created within scientific research.
Thus, the Open Science Policy is aimed at fostering a sustainable institutional culture of transparency, responsibility, and international cooperation. It ensures not only free access to research results but also provides tools for strengthening research quality, the University’s reputational capital, and its contribution to the global scholarly environment.
2. Purpose and Objectives of the Policy
2.1. The purpose of the Open Science Policy at Alfred Nobel University is to build a coherent institutional system for creating, preserving, disseminating, and reusing research results on the principles of openness, responsibility, transparency, and academic integrity. The Policy is aimed at ensuring sustainable access to knowledge, creating a favorable environment for the development of research activities, and integrating the University into the international scientific community through the implementation of global open science standards.
2.2. Open science at the University is understood not only as a technological or publishing practice but also as a set of cultural, organizational, and regulatory principles that transform models of scholarly communication, approaches to data management, and forms of interaction between researchers and society. Therefore, the Policy has both procedural and strategic dimensions, as it enhances trust in science, improves research quality, and helps build the University’s scientific reputation in Ukraine and abroad.
The main objectives of the Policy include:
2.3. Ensuring open access to research results. The University creates conditions for free, cost-free, and sustainable access to research publications, conference materials, monographs, research data, and educational resources. Open access is implemented through mandatory deposition of materials in the institutional repository ANU DSpace Repository and through support of the University’s scientific journals operating on the open-access model.
2.4. Promoting academic integrity and research transparency. The Open Science Policy requires adherence to ethical principles of data acquisition and use, proper citation, responsible authorship, and fair peer-review practices. Openness is viewed as a mechanism of quality control that enables verification, reproducibility, and confirmation of research results.
2.5. Developing a culture of research data management. The University identifies data management as a key component of the research process. Building skills in planning, documenting, preserving, standardizing, and licensing data increases their scientific value and suitability for reuse and further analysis.
2.6. Encouraging scientific collaboration and interdisciplinarity. Open data and open publications promote academic partnerships, the formation of inter-university and international research consortia, increased mobility of researchers, and integration of the University into global scientific networks.
2.7. Supporting the development of open educational resources and digital literacy of researchers. The University encourages the creation and dissemination of open educational materials, online courses, video lectures, and tools for independent study of research methodologies.
2.8. Creating a supportive and motivating environment for researchers. The Policy recognizes contributions to open science as a criterion of academic performance. Depositing publications, releasing data, peer reviewing, journal management, and developing open methodologies are taken into account in attestation, competitive procedures, and allocation of bonuses.
2.9. Expanding the societal impact of university research. Open access enables the public, businesses, government bodies, and educational institutions to use scientific results for decision-making and implementing innovations.
2.10. Integrating the University into international scientific networks and platforms. Open science is a prerequisite for entering the global knowledge ecosystem, participating in international projects, and increasing the citation impact of the University’s researchers.
3. Terms and Definitions
To achieve the purpose and objectives of this Policy, the terms and concepts used are aligned with international open science standards, UNESCO Recommendations (2021), and national legislation in the field of education and science. The goal of this section is to ensure clarity, unambiguity, and correct interpretation of the key terms applied in the development, implementation, and monitoring of the Open Science Policy at Alfred Nobel University.
Open Science — a system of conceptual, organizational, and technological practices aimed at ensuring openness of research outputs, including publications, data, methodologies, research tools, and educational materials. Open science includes open access, open data, open peer review, open technological platforms, and the involvement of society in creating and disseminating knowledge.
Open Access — free, permanent, and unrestricted online access to scholarly publications, allowing reading, downloading, copying, distribution, indexing, and other lawful uses of the material without financial, legal, or technical barriers, provided that proper attribution is given to the author.
Institutional Repository (ANU DSpace Repository) — the University’s official electronic archive for collecting, preserving, organizing, long-term storing, and openly disseminating research outputs. The repository ensures the assignment of metadata and indexing in international academic search systems.
Scholarly Publication — the result of research activity published in the form of a scientific article, monograph, conference proceedings, analytical report, or other formats that have undergone editorial and peer-review evaluation according to publishing ethics standards.
Research Data — all factual materials, statistical datasets, field notes, measurement results, digital or analog samples, audiovisual materials, software code, models, and other objects created or obtained during research and required for verifying, reproducing, or reanalyzing results.
FAIR Principles — an international standard for research data management ensuring that data are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. These principles apply to all stages of working with data—from planning to archiving.
Data Management Plan (DMP) — a formal document that defines strategies for creating, structuring, preserving, licensing, making accessible, and enabling the reuse of research data within a specific scientific project.
Open License — a type of copyright license that legally allows others to use a work under certain conditions. The most common open licenses are Creative Commons (CC), which define the permitted forms of copying, adaptation, and distribution of works while upholding academic integrity.
Academic Integrity — adherence to ethical principles and norms at all stages of research activity: from hypothesis formulation and data collection to interpretation of results and publication. This includes honesty in presenting facts, avoiding falsification and fabrication of data, proper citation, respect for intellectual property, methodological transparency, responsible use of analytical tools, and avoiding bias in interpreting results.
Reproducibility — the ability of an independent researcher to obtain similar results when using the methods, materials, and data described in a study. Reproducibility is a key criterion of scientific reliability.
4. Principles of Open Science
The Open Science Policy of Alfred Nobel University is based on a system of principles that determine the content, methods, values, and practices of research activity within the context of global academic communication. These principles form the normative foundation on which the institutional culture of openness and responsible scientific cooperation is built. Compliance with these principles is mandatory for all participants of the research process at the University — faculty, scholars, doctoral and postgraduate students, undergraduate students, and administrative units involved in research activities.
4.1. Transparency and accessibility of research results. The University recognizes that scientific results should be accessible to the society that funds education and science. Transparency includes open access to publications, methodologies, research protocols, and supporting materials necessary for verifying and reproducing results. Accessibility is ensured by depositing materials in the institutional repository and supporting open access journals.
4.2. Reproducibility and verifiability of scientific results. Scientific reliability depends on the possibility of independently repeating a study. The University emphasizes the need to document data collection procedures, justify methodological choices, and clearly describe analytical algorithms. Reproducibility also requires providing access to raw and processed data (when ethical and legal constraints are respected) and using open analytical tools.
4.3. Openness of methodologies and tools. Research approaches, software, models, and algorithms used in studies must be documented, preserved, and, when possible, made available in open formats. The University encourages the use of open-source software and open data standards, which support compatibility, interoperability, and long-term preservation of research outputs.
4.4. Adherence to academic integrity. Open science cannot exist without high standards of academic ethics. At the University, plagiarism, data falsification and fabrication, unethical authorship practices, citation manipulation, and the use of predatory journals are prohibited. Ethical norms require proper recognition of researchers’ contributions, transparency of peer review, and openness of editorial processes.
4.5. Responsibility and respect for rights and limitations. Openness is not absolute — it must consider restrictions related to confidentiality, personal data protection, intellectual property, commercial interests, and ethical aspects of working with vulnerable populations. Open science involves responsible access management, where both complete materials and selected elements (e.g., metadata only) may be made openly available.
4.6. Inclusiveness and community participation. Open science aims to democratize scientific knowledge: it supports participation of diverse research groups, international mobility, collaboration, interdisciplinarity, and public engagement (Citizen Science). The University views science as a societal resource that serves the development of culture, education, and innovation.
4.7. Sustainable development and social responsibility of science. Research activity should contribute to addressing global and local challenges — economic, social, environmental, and cultural. The University acknowledges the role of science in building a fair and sustainable society and supports studies that generate socially significant impact.
5. Open Science Infrastructure and Mechanisms of Open Access
5.1. Open access to scientific publications is a key element in implementing the Open Science Policy of Alfred Nobel University. The University proceeds from the understanding that research results created with the participation of the institution and the scholarly community must circulate freely and without economic or technical barriers, thereby promoting the dissemination of knowledge and innovation within society.
5.2. The University ensures open access to publications through several mechanisms, the central of which include:
(1) The University’s institutional repository, which serves as the main platform for preserving, organizing, and providing long-term access to research outputs of academic staff, doctoral candidates, student researchers, and other authors affiliated with the University. The repository requires mandatory deposition of: final versions of articles published in scholarly journals; conference materials; dissertations and dissertation abstracts; research project reports; teaching and methodological materials; and other research results that may possess public relevance.
(2) The University’s five scholarly journals operating under the Gold Open Access model — meaning their content is fully open to readers:Academy Review, Alfred Nobel University Journal of Philology, Alfred Nobel University Journal of Pedagogy and Psychology, Alfred Nobel University Journal of Law, European Vector of Economic Development. All journals apply a transparent and independent peer-review system, are represented in international bibliographic databases and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and two journals are indexed in major international scientometric databases — Scopus (Alfred Nobel University Journal of Philology) and Web of Science (Academy Review). The journals publish materials in English and/or Ukrainian, ensuring international dissemination, indexing, and accessibility to a global audience.
(3) The use of open licenses, particularly Creative Commons. To ensure legal transparency and protect intellectual rights, the University recommends the use of Creative Commons open licenses — primarily CC BY or CC BY-SA — which permit the distribution of materials with attribution and without restrictions on their use for scientific, educational, or social purposes.
(4) The educational and informational portal, which contains: a full-text electronic library of educational and scholarly publications (textbooks, manuals, dictionaries, monographs, dissertations, journals, articles, etc.); an electronic catalog with information on all library holdings; open access to full-text publications from 32 libraries worldwide (including electronic archives of Harvard); open access to open-access-compliant periodicals indexed in Scopus; video seminars and training sessions for early-career researchers; information on scientific events.
(5) Support for self-archiving practices and publishing in open, peer-reviewed international journals. The University supports a self-archiving policy according to which authors are required to deposit the final or accepted version of an article in the repository. All publications must be accompanied by metadata, including an abstract, keywords, authors’ ORCID identifiers, and standard bibliographic references.
5.3. The University encourages researchers to publish in leading international open-access journals and supports participation in global initiatives such as OPERAS, OASPA, the UNESCO Open Science Recommendation, as well as adherence to the principles of Plan S.
Thus, open access to scientific publications at the University is a systemic practice aimed at ensuring maximum visibility of research results, strengthening academic culture, and enhancing the social significance of the University’s scientific activity.
6. Management of Open Research Data
6.1. The management of research data is a key component of open science, as data constitute the foundation of scientific conclusions, the verifiability of results, and the possibility of their reproduction by other researchers. Alfred Nobel University recognizes the value of research data as a strategic resource that requires systematic preservation, organization, and responsible dissemination. The introduction of clear norms for data management contributes both to improving research quality and to strengthening academic integrity and the University’s scholarly reputation.
6.2. Researchers at the University are encouraged to develop a Data Management Plan (DMP) at the stage of preparing a project or scientific study. A DMP describes: the types of data that will be created or used; the methods of their collection; standards and formats; measures for ensuring security and backup; conditions for dissemination; access restrictions (if any); and locations for long-term preservation.
6.3. The University’s institutional repository is the primary platform for long-term preservation and open access to research data. Research data are deposited in the repository together with metadata, a description of the research context, usage instructions, and, when necessary, links to related publications. For datasets deposited in the repository, the University assigns unique permanent identifiers (DOIs), which ensure citability and the ability to track impact. This practice enhances the visibility of research outputs and strengthens academic authorship.
6.4. The University encourages researchers to use international data repositories such as Zenodo, Figshare, OSF, Dryad, as well as discipline-specific databases that comply with open standards and ensure long-term preservation. The choice of repository is determined by the nature of the data, the requirements of scholarly journals, and the conditions of collaborative projects.
6.5. The opening of research data must take into account ethical norms, confidentiality, and personal data protection. Data containing personal information may be made openly available only after anonymization, de-identification, or obtaining the necessary permissions. Data with commercial value or intellectual property potential for patenting may be temporarily restricted until legal procedures are completed.
6.6. To ensure responsible and high-quality data management, the University regularly provides training, consultations, and methodological support. The University Library and the Department of Science develop guidelines, instructions, and DMP templates, and also organize trainings on open data, FAIR principles, and the use of repositories.
7. Licensing and Copyright
7.1. The Open Science Policy of Alfred Nobel University provides clear regulation of matters related to copyright, intellectual property, and the open licensing of research outputs. One of the key objectives of the Policy is to ensure a balance between protecting authors’ rights and enabling the widest possible dissemination of scientific knowledge based on openness and public accessibility.
7.2. The fundamental principle of the University’s policy is the recognition of authorship. All research results created by the University’s staff members and learners belong to their authors within the limits defined by the applicable legislation of Ukraine and the University’s internal regulations. When publishing, depositing in the institutional repository, or transferring results to third parties, authorship must be clearly indicated and properly documented.
7.3. For publications disseminated in open access, the University recommends the use of Creative Commons licenses, in particular: CC BY (Attribution) — allows reuse of the material provided that the author is credited; this is the primary recommended license. CC BY-SA (Attribution-ShareAlike) — permits reuse and modification, provided that derivative materials are shared under the same terms. CC BY-NC (Attribution-NonCommercial) — restricts commercial use of the material without the author’s permission. CC0 (Public Domain Dedication) — enables the author to waive copyright and release the material into the public domain (recommended for open datasets).
7.4. The choice of license remains at the discretion of the author; however, the University encourages the use of CC BY as the license most consistent with the principles of open science and with international open access requirements (OASPA, UNESCO).
7.5. If research results contain data with restricted access (personal data, trade secrets, patentable subject matter), an expert review is conducted prior to publication to ensure compliance with legal, ethical, and contractual obligations. The University provides advisory support on licensing and intellectual property protection through its designated administrative units.
7.6. Patentable developments, technologies, technical solutions, and other innovative products may remain temporarily closed until patenting procedures are completed or commercialization agreements are finalized. At the same time, the University seeks to ensure that research results can be published openly once the legal formalities have been completed.
7.7. To prevent copyright violations, the University implements:
— mandatory use of similarity detection and plagiarism-checking systems,
— training on copyright and open licenses,
— consultations on proper citation and the lawful reuse of materials.
8. Research Integrity and Reproducibility
8.1. Research integrity is a fundamental prerequisite for high-quality scholarly work and a core principle of the Open Science Policy of Alfred Nobel University. The openness of research results is meaningful only when those results are grounded in honesty, transparency, adherence to ethical norms, and appropriate methodological standards. The University recognizes that ensuring integrity and reproducibility requires both robust institutional support mechanisms and the cultivation of a culture of responsible scientific inquiry.
8.2. The University implements the following mechanisms to support research integrity and reproducibility:
(1) a policy for preventing academic plagiarism. All research materials undergo similarity checks in specialized systems prior to publication or deposit in the repository. The verification results are stored and may be used for internal auditing procedures.
(2) transparent documentation of methods and procedures. Researchers are required to provide detailed descriptions of research approaches, data-collection instruments, analytical algorithms, model parameters, software tools, and their respective versions.
(3) ethical review of research. Studies involving human participants, personal data, biological samples, vulnerable groups, or potential risks are subject to mandatory consideration by the University’s Committee on the Ethics of Scholarly Publications. The committee’s decision must be appended to the final report or publication.
(4) training on academic integrity. The University conducts regular trainings, consultations, and methodological workshops on research ethics, avoidance of questionable scientific practices, reliable data processing, and the development of reproducible research models.
8.3. Violations of the principles of research integrity are examined in accordance with the University’s internal procedures and may entail disciplinary actions, revision of authors’ publishing practices, retraction of works, or restrictions on access to funding.
8.4. Ensuring academic integrity and reproducibility constitutes a core value foundation of Alfred Nobel University as an open, responsible, and trustworthy academic community.
9. Responsibilities of Structural Units
9.1. The effective implementation of the comprehensive Open Science Policy at Alfred Nobel University requires coordinated efforts across all levels of management, as well as among academic and educational structures. Each unit has a clearly defined role in ensuring the sustainable functioning of the open access system, proper preservation of research data, adherence to academic integrity principles, and the integration of open science into the educational process and research practices.
9.2. The Rectorate and Administrative Units. The University leadership is responsible for strategic planning and for providing organizational, financial, and human-resource conditions necessary for implementing the Open Science Policy. The administration approves relevant regulatory documents, determines priorities for the development of open access infrastructure, and ensures that openness criteria are incorporated into the performance evaluation system for academic staff and structural units.
9.3. The Academic Council, Editorial Board, and the Committee on Publication Ethics. The Academic Council oversees the academic regulation of the implementation of open science principles, adopts recommendations on the development of institutional repository practices, transparency of peer review, and research data management. The Editorial Board and the Committee on Publication Ethics monitor the compliance of publications and data with open access standards, evaluate adherence to open licensing requirements, and address ethical issues arising from the open dissemination of research results.
9.4. Departments and Research Laboratories ensure the practical organization and support of open research practices among academic staff and students. Their responsibilities include:
— conducting scientific seminars dedicated to open access and data management;
— encouraging publications in peer-reviewed open access journals indexed by international databases;
— monitoring the deposit of articles and other research outputs in the institutional repository;
— informing students about the requirements for transparency in research procedures and proper citation;
— ensuring that department heads incorporate open science principles into educational programs and methodological materials.
9.5. The Scientific Library and Repository Services are responsible for:
— maintaining and operating the institutional repository;
— providing metadata for research materials;
— offering consultations on copyright, Creative Commons licensing, and the selection of trustworthy journals;
— delivering training on open science platforms, citation indexes, and academic integrity;
— verifying journals for potential predatory publishing practices.
9.6. IT Services and Digital Infrastructure. The IT Department provides technical support for the repository, protects research data, maintains communication and publication platforms, ensures integration with international systems (ORCID, Crossref, DOAJ, etc.), and guarantees secure data storage.
9.7. Researchers and Academic Staff bear personal responsibility for adhering to the Open Science Policy: depositing publications, managing data appropriately, selecting open licenses, following principles of academic integrity, and avoiding predatory publishing practices.
10. Monitoring and Evaluation of the Open Science Policy
10.1. Monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the Open Science Policy is an essential mechanism to ensure its effectiveness, transparency, and alignment with the current requirements of the global scientific environment. Systematic data collection, analysis of the success of specific measures, and periodic updates of the policy should enable the University to adapt to new international standards, technological solutions, and changes in the socio-scientific context.
10.2. The main purpose of monitoring is to ensure the sustainable functioning of open science mechanisms and the proper quality of their implementation. This involves assessing the University’s compliance with the principles of openness, accessibility, reproducibility, and ethical conduct in research. Monitoring also aims to identify barriers to policy implementation and develop recommendations to overcome them.
10.3. Objects and indicators of monitoring. Monitoring covers the following key areas of activity:
— the level of deposition of research articles and materials in the institutional repository;
— the share of publications available in open access (including University journals);
— compliance of licensing of materials with open license policies (Creative Commons, etc.);
— the quantity and quality of research data management and documentation;
— adherence to peer-review procedures and academic integrity;
— the degree of integration of open science into educational and research programs;
— the activity of University researchers in international open science initiatives (ORCID, Crossref, DOAJ, OJS, OpenAIRE, etc.).
Quantitative indicators are supplemented by qualitative analysis based on expert reviews, internal audit results, and evaluations of research units.
10.4. Authorized monitoring bodies. Overall coordination of monitoring is carried out by the Scientific Activity Committee of the University Academic Council. Operational control and report preparation are assigned to:
— the Science Department (monitoring repository content, licenses, and indexing);
— the Department of Quality Assurance in Education and Research (analyzing transparency and integrity);
— the IT Department (technical analysis of data accessibility and preservation);
— department heads (evaluation of practices at the level of academic teams).
10.5. Frequency and forms of reporting. An annual Report on Scientific Activity and the Implementation of the Open Science Policy is prepared, which:
— is reviewed by the Academic Council;
— is published on the University’s official website;
— is used to adjust strategic development plans.
If necessary, thematic audits may be conducted (e.g., evaluating publication activity or data management at the departmental level).
10.6. Mechanisms for policy adjustment. Based on monitoring results, changes may be introduced to:
— institutional regulations for data storage and dissemination;
— reporting requirements for research units;
— conditions for conducting research projects;
— criteria for evaluation, incentives, and support of researchers.
10.7. The policy is subject to comprehensive review at least once every three years or earlier in case of significant changes in international standards.
11. Final Provisions
11.1. The Open Science Policy at Alfred Nobel University is a fundamental regulatory document that governs approaches to the creation, storage, dissemination, and reuse of research and educational outputs of the university community. Its implementation is based on the understanding that openness is a key condition for academic freedom, research integrity, global collaboration, and the societal responsibility of the higher education institution.
11.2. Entry into force. This policy becomes effective upon approval by the University Academic Council and the issuance of the corresponding rector’s order. From that moment it comes into effect and all University units, staff, and students are required to comply with its provisions within the scope of their official and academic responsibilities.
11.3. Policy adaptability and dynamism. The Open Science Policy is treated as a dynamic document that requires periodic review, taking into account:
— the development of global practices in open access and data management;
— changes in Ukrainian legislation and international regulations;
— the emergence of new digital services, repository platforms, and AI tools for knowledge management;
— ethical challenges related to the open dissemination of information.
Regular updates of the policy allow the University to maintain the relevance of its institutional standards and ensure competitiveness in the global academic environment.
11.4. Dissemination and communication. To foster a stable culture of open science, the University ensures:
— publication of the policy on the official University website and on the websites of academic journals;
— informing academic staff, employees, and students through email newsletters, training sessions, and seminars;
— integration of key policy principles into courses on academic writing, research methods, and research ethics;
— promotion of open science through public lectures, scientific forums, conferences, and collaborative projects.
Communicative openness is a prerequisite for the sustained practical implementation of the policy.
11.5. Societal dimension of the policy. The University recognizes its responsibility to society for the dissemination of reliable, verified, and representative knowledge that can contribute to the formation of an educated citizenry, support democratic processes, foster sustainable socio-economic development, and enrich the cultural life of the community. Openness in university research is seen not only as an academic standard but also as an important tool for serving the society.