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Open science

»Open science refers to a new approach to the scientific process based on cooperative work and new ways of disseminating knowledge, improving accessibility to and re-usability of research outputs by using digital technologies and new collaborative tools.«
(Commission Recommendation (EU) 2018/790 of 25 April 2018 on access to and preservation of scientific information, 2018)

Fundamental principles of open science are:

  • the immediate and universal availability of scientific works resulting from publicly funded research (such as scientific publications or research data) on the internet without subscription restrictions;
  • the sharing and joint use of software, hardware, and other tools that researchers use in their work;
  • transparency of scientific methods, protocols, and experiments;
  • the reuse of research data;
  • the promotion of fair and transparent methods for evaluating scientific work;
  • the encouragement and promotion of connecting science with the public;
  • the promotion of open science practices in other fields, such as education and culture;
  • the encouragement of cultural change in research practices toward greater collaboration among researchers and reduced competition in this field. More on: ARIS – Odprta znanost

Open access enables free access to the complete results of scientific research on the internet and the management of copyright through open licenses. Users have the right not only to read, save, and print the content, but also to copy, use, distribute, transmit, and publicly display it. In addition, they may create and distribute derivative works in all digital media and for any lawful purpose. 
More on: NUK – Open Access,  Open Library – Open Publications and Odprte objave – Open Access Publishing Options

Support for implementing the principles of open science in Slovenia is also provided by the project Spoznaj. Two manuals have also been published as part of this project:

  • Bezjak, S. (ur.). (2024). Priročnik o odprti znanosti v Sloveniji – Spoznaj FAIR. Založba Univerze na Primorskem. https://www.hippocampus.si/ISBN/978-961-293-328-9.pdf.  
  • Bezjak S., Grašič J., Korez B., Kverh B., Leskošek B., Romih T., Vipavc Brvar I., Zagorščak M., Županič A. (2025). Priročnik o načrtovanju ravnanja z raziskovalnimi podatki.  Založba Univerze v Ljubljani. https://nrrp.odprtaznanost.si/

You can find more information about the project Spoznaj at https://projekt-spoznaj.si/en/.

Open Science Policies in Slovenia

Data management plan (DMP)

»Research data are defined as factual records (numerical scores, textual records, images and sounds) used as primary sources for scientific research, and that are commonly accepted in the scientific community as necessary to validate research findings. A research data set constitutes a systematic, partial representation of the subject being investigated.« (OECD, 2007, p. 13) 

To ensure high‑quality research data, it is recommended that the researcher prepare a Data Management Plan (DMP) even before the data collection begins.

The Decree on the Implementation of Scientific Research in Accordance with the Principles of Open Science (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no. 186/21 and 40/23) sets out the obligations for conducting scientific research in line with open science principles.
These obligations relate to:

  • ensuring open access to research outputs for projects receiving at least 50% public funding, 
  • promoting public involvement in research activities,
  • evaluating researchers, research organizations, research programs, and projects according to open science principles,
  • providing and supporting open science infrastructure.

ARIS (Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency) has prepared the form for submitting the DMP. 

Current templates for developing research data management plans by funders and other institutions can be found in the links below:

More information about the selected topic at the web links below:

Trustworthy Repositories

Trusted repositories enable the storage of research results in digital form, e.g., scientific articles (published in scientific journals and on scientific publishing platforms), scientific monographs and other types of peer-reviewed publications, research data, software developed as a result of research, and other types of research results. The Slovenian Research And Innovation Agency (hereinafter ARIS), in cooperation with representatives of some university libraries and some existing repositories, has prepared Criteria for the definition of trustworthy repositories (ARIS, 19. 12. 2024).

Types of repositories

A comparison of the characteristics of the listed general repositories is available in the document List of Recommended Repositories – ARIS and Generalist Repository Comparison Chart, which can be used as a basis for selecting the most appropriate repository for your needs.
 
Directories for finding research data repositories:
Also see: 
 

Open access publishing

Under the Decree on the Implementation of Scientific Research in Accordance with the Principles of Open Science (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no. 186/21 and 40/23)  and the Horizon Europe Framework Programme, beneficiaries of public research funding (≥50%) must ensure immediate open access to scientific articles. Publications are permitted in gold and diamond open access journals, on open access publishing platforms (e.g. Open Research Europe), or in hybrid journals where open access costs (APCs) are covered within consortium agreements. Individual APC payments for hybrid journals are not eligible expense under the funding agreement.
 
Data on open access journals are based on information from the database DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals. 
The database also includes Slovenian scientific journals that are part of the collection Odprto založništvo.
 
A suitable journal for publication can be found on the Odprte objave website. The database lists eligible open access and hybrid journals based on affiliation including FIS, and consortia participation, and indicates the approximate number of available publishing vouchers.
 

Open Access Publishing – Elsevier & Springer Nature

Elsevier 

The Science Direct license agreement with Elsevier for 2026 enables corresponding authors from member institutions of the Slovenian consortium to publish an unlimited number of open-access articles free of charge in approximately 1,640 hybrid journals published by Elsevier. The costs of vouchers without APC (Article Processing Charge) payments are already included in the concluded transformative agreement, which is financed by ARIS funds and the funds of participating consortium institutions.

In 11 journals, vouchers can only be used by authors from the University of Ljubljana (UL), which subscribes to these journals.

The benefits do not apply to publications in Cell Press journals, The Lancet, or journals of certain partner publishers or associations.

Authors can check their eligibility to use a voucher for publishing an open-access article in a selected hybrid journal via Find a participating journal (display for the searched hybrid journal title from the publisher’s up-to-date list).

An informative list of journal titles with the above benefits is available in the Excel file ScienceDirect_seznam revij_vavčerji_2026, with separate tabs for hybrid journals and hybrid journals for UL only.

For gold open access journals, the above benefits do not apply; publications are subject to fees (authors can check the list of journals here).

The list of eligible hybrid journals may change occasionally due to the addition of new journal titles or changes in the business model or ownership of journals. Authors are therefore advised to always first verify voucher eligibility via Find a participating journal.

Vouchers are valid for the following types of publications in the publisher’s hybrid journals:
Case reports, Data in Briefs, Full-length articles, Micro-articles, Original software publication, Practice guidelines, Protocols, Review articles, Replication studies, Short communications, Short surveys, Video articles.

General conditions:

  • the article is ACCEPTED for publication in 2026,
  • the corresponding author or the author submitting the article in the publisher’s system is affiliated with one of the consortium member institutions,
  • correct affiliation (institution name) is stated,
  • author identification via an institutional-domain email address.

After the article is accepted for publication, the author selects the open access option in the publisher’s system and indicates the corresponding authors’ affiliation with consortium institutions. Eligibility for the discount is confirmed by contact persons at the FIS library – see the publisher’s presentation of the submission steps.

Source: CTK website

Springer Nature 

The license agreement with Springer Nature for 2026 enables corresponding authors from member institutions of the Slovenian consortium to publish an unlimited number of open access articles free of charge. The costs of APCs (Article Processing Charges) or vouchers for open access publications are included in the transformative agreement, which is financed by ARIS funds and the funds of participating consortium institutions.

Eligible for vouchers: teaching and research staff at FIS, as well as FIS students who are corresponding authors at the time the article is accepted. In the case of multiple corresponding authors, the author who is the corresponding author at the time of acceptance is entitled to use the voucher.

Types of publications covered by the voucher:

  • Original Paper
  • Review Paper
  • Brief Communication
  • Continuing Education

Journal lists

  • Hybrid journals for open access publishing: the up-to-date list is available on the Springer Nature website.
  • Reading Access journals: the list of Springer and partner publishers (Adis, Academic Journals, Palgrave Macmillan) is available under the Reading list tab in the attached Excel file (download: right-click → “Save link as…”).

General conditions for article publication:

  • the article is ACCEPTED for publishing in 2026,
  • the corresponding author (the author submitting the article in the publisher’s system) is affiliated with one of the consortium member institutions,
  • correct affiliation (institution name) is stated,
  • author identification via an institutional-domain email address.

After the article is accepted for publication, the author selects the open access option in the publisher’s system, indicates the corresponding authors’ affiliation with consortium institutions, and eligibility for the discount is confirmed by contact persons at the institutions’ libraries – see the publisher’s presentation of the submission steps.

Source: CTK website

Projekt Spoznaj
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