National Principles for Open Access Policy Statement (2013), National Steering Committee on Open Access Policy

What is this about?

National Principles for Open Access Policy Statement (2013) is a national policy produced by the National Steering Committee on Open Access Policy, written in English, and intended for stakeholders in Ireland. It provides detailed guidance on open science and open access, translating high-level principles into practical steps for researchers, institutions, funders, and publishers. The document frames openness as the default, balanced by ethics, privacy, intellectual property, and security, advocating the principle “as open as possible, as closed as necessary.” It emphasizes the connection between openness, research quality, reproducibility, rapid translation, and equitable access, particularly for communities with limited subscription access. Key elements include open access to publications, preferred licensing such as Creative Commons, use of persistent identifiers, deposition in trusted repositories, and adherence to FAIR data principles through data management plans. Operational guidance covers author and institutional responsibilities, funding acknowledgment, rights retention, budgeting, and justified embargoes or exceptions. The policy highlights enabling infrastructure, monitoring mechanisms, and governance for responsible openness. For practitioners, it consolidates national rules, aligns Irish practice with international norms, reduces ambiguity, and provides actionable steps to improve transparency, reproducibility, and equitable access. Published in 2013, it is a credible reference for policy, training, and grant documentation.

For whom is this important?

All stakeholders in research

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