Helmholtz Open Science Forum on Open Research Information : Helmholtz Open Science Briefing | Version v1

Research information – data on research outputs and activities – is omnipresent and essential in everyday research, but is often not freely accessible. It is often collected by commercial providers who charge for access, while at the same time many research institutions produce vast amounts of research information with the potential of making it better accessible. Research information is also essential for fair and transparent research assessment, decision-making and resource allocation. Hence, its openness is of decisive relevance – as another important building block of open science, for the reform of research assessment and for academic sovereignty. An important milestone is the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information, which calls for open research information to become the norm. The Helmholtz Open Science Forum on Open Research Information on 2 April 2025 was dedicated to the topic of open research information and offered members of the Helmholtz Association a space for information and exchange. The forum covered an introduction on the Barcelona Declaration, presentations of activities within Helmholtz, and discussions between Helmholtz stakeholders on the state of research information and possible future activities within Helmholtz as well as on general challenges and opportunities of open research information.