Institutional policy

In the beginning of 2024, Charles University adopted an institutional Research Data Policy. The purpose of the data policy is to promote good practice in research data management by specifying the basic principles of research data management, and by delineating the responsibilities of the University and its researchers. The policy also provides information on available institutional support that researchers may use to meet the standards set out in the policy. 

Furthermore, the Code of Ethics of Charles University says that academics, researchers, and students 

[i]n their scientific and creative work they take account of the latest developments in their field, and they ensure that the methods applied are reasonable, accurate, objective, and not distorted. They exercise due care when handling data or examining materials, they provide an accurate description thereof, and use standard methods of protection and archiving. They ensure that the procedures and results of scientific and creative work may be reviewed. They comply with the specific rules of professional ethics in a given field. (Part III.4) 

and 

[t]hey do not publish their work unethically, for example via dubious publication platforms. They do not misappropriate someone else’s work, they do not plagiarise. (Part III.7)

In June 2013, the Academic Senate of Charles University adopted the Concept of Editorial Policy of Charles University (Czech only), which includes, among other things, goals related to the gradual opening of creative activities at Charles University. Following up on this document, Charles University signed the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities in October 2013, publicly committing to supporting the idea of open access. 

On 15 December 2017, the Academic Senate of CU adopted the Joint Declaration of the Academic Senate of CU and the University Management on Open Access Policy at CU (Czech only). 

Furthermore, in 2018, the Karolinum Press published its Open Access Editorial Policy, and currently publishes all journals as open journals and offers the opportunity to publish book chapters and scientific monographs in open access, too.

Charles University has an ambition to make its research process as transparent and replicable as possible, and its research outputs open and reusable where possible. In accordance with this ambition, the support of open science is also embedded in the Charles University Strategic Plan for 2021-2025 (Part II.10). The university aims to set up conditions for a wider use of Open Access and for archiving, protection and accessibility of research data. To achieve this goal, the university established the Open Science Support Centre and works on preparing methodological guidelines and building infrastructure to support its research teams in practising open science. 

In the beginning of 2024, the University adopted a Research Data Policy to help guide researchers through the process of research data management and point them to the support which is available at the University. 

National Policies

The development of institutional policies is, to a large extent, influenced by research funders’ policies and by national strategies, in particular, the Czech Republic National Strategy of Open Access to Scientific Information for 2017-2020 and the Action Plan for its implementation (Czech only, see summary in English).

In September 2022, Act No. 241/2022 came into effect, amending, among other things, Act No. 130/2002 Coll., on the support of research, experimental development and innovation from public funds. The amendment implements the Directive (EU) 2019/1024 on open data and the reuse of public-sector information. Based on this amendment, grant agreements must now include information on research data management, and information on the availability and method of dissemination of research results, including research data, in accordance with the principle “as open as possible, as closed as necessary”. The amendment also regulates access to research data and specifies, when the beneficiary must provide access to them.

You can find more details about the amendment in the following summary.

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International Policies

At the level of individual research projects, in which Charles University participates, the policies adopted by the European Commission (e.g., H2020 or ERC projects) and other foreign funders who require or recommend open access to scientific publications and research data have a great impact on raising awareness of open access / open science.