24 July 2026
Laura Feetham-Walker is Head of Publishing Strategy and Performance at IOP Publishing (IOPP), a society publisher wholly owned by the Institute of Physics. IOPP reinvests its net income back into the Institute to support its mission to advance knowledge of physics and provide professional support for physicists worldwide.
The case of open data
Open data is a central part of responsible research across the physical and environmental sciences, with funders increasingly mandating transparent data practices. Journals are strengthening their policies and research communities are recognising the value of making data findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable. But despite this momentum, researchers report that putting open data into practice remains challenging.
Understanding the problem
In 2024, we conducted a major study analysing data‑sharing practices across more than 30,000 published articles. What stood out was that while many researchers want to share their data, they face a range of practical, ethical and technical barriers that make open data difficult to put into practice. Common challenges include uncertainty around licensing and choosing the right repository and a lack of confidence in managing ethically sensitive datasets. Concerns about the time needed to curate data, the risk of being scooped, and confusion around where and how to share datasets can further discourage openness. At the same time, evidence shows that targeted skills support makes a measurable difference: structured training has been linked to increased adoption of open science practices and improved research quality. When researchers understand the practical steps involved—from planning and documentation to publication and long‑term stewardship—they are better equipped to navigate expectations, contribute to a more transparent research culture and benefit from increased visibility, credibility and recognition for their work.
Why training is the bridge researchers need
In response to this need, we’ve developed a free online open data training course with busy researchers in mind providing practical guidance on making their data openly available. The two‑hour course is grounded in real-life research practice, using case studies—from large collaborative projects to examples like the Vesuvius Challenge —to illustrate how collaborating on open datasets can drive discovery. Interactive activities and applied scenarios help learners recognise solutions to the challenges they encounter day‑to‑day, making the material directly applicable.
Alongside training, we continue to review the broader landscape to strengthen support for open data and adapt our policies to better meet the needs of the research community.
Since 2022, authors publishing with us have been asked to include a data availability statement, and in 2023 we introduced an additional requirement for authors who cannot share their data to explain why. This information helps us build a clearer understanding of the barriers researchers face.
Building on this, we are now trialling a policy that requires authors submitting papers to the journals Environmental Research: Food Systems or Environmental Research: Climate to share the underlying data that support their papers, unless there is a compelling reason why the data cannot be made available.
We are also increasing the visibility and citability of research data by assigning DOIs to supplementary files submitted with research papers. This helps make supporting materials more discoverable and ensures researchers receive recognition for their data alongside their published articles. This approach is supported by evidence showing that articles with linked data tend to receive more citations.
Together, these steps aim to make data sharing more practical, visible and valued, contributing to a more transparent and robust research culture.
Towards a more confident open research culture
Open data is not just a requirement imposed by funders or journals—it is a shared commitment to strengthening the trustworthiness, visibility and long‑term value of scientific research. But for that vision to be realised, researchers and peer reviewers need support to help remove barriers.
By investing in skills and clear, accessible guidance, we move closer to a research culture where open data becomes a natural, integrated part of scientific practice. A culture where researchers feel empowered to show their work, reviewers feel equipped to evaluate it and the scientific record becomes more robust, transparent and trustworthy.
A similar piece was first published by Research Professional News
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