What policies and regulations support VU’s vision on Open Science?

As open as possible, as closed as necessary.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is strongly committed to the accessibility of research output, namely publications, data and software. They are important to the visibility, verifiability and reusability of research. To turn accessible research output into reality, VU Amsterdam has developed a Research Data and Software Management Policy. This policy is based on a set of VU-internal, national and international policies, principles and regulations. This guide provides references and short explanations of these documents.

Research Data and Software Management Policy

VU Amsterdam considers the careful handling of research data and software to be very important. The university has therefore formulated a Research Data and Software Management Policy which articulates how to handle research data and software. The policy lists the responsibilities regarding research data and software management for researchers, department heads, faculty boards and the university as a whole.

  • VU RDM policy (2020) (The document referenced here only addresses Research Data Management, but will be updated in Spring 2025 to the policy that covers both Research Data and Software Management).

Since the VU Amsterdam policy for Research Data and Software Management is formulated in general terms, faculties have worked out more detailed policies and guidelines for their own faculty. These faculty-specific guidelines can be found below.

For RDM policies and guidelines at Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc, please get in touch with Research Data Management Support at Amsterdam UMC.

If you have questions about the VU-central Research Data and Software Management Policy, please contact the RDM Support Desk.

VU Strategy 2020-2025

The Research Data and Software Management Policy follows the VU Strategy, in which VU Amsterdam endorses Open Science and FAIR data (see Section 5.1). More information relating to the VU Strategy can be found on the Strategy page.

Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity

Dutch scientists are required to comply with the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. More information about this code of conduct and procedures for violations of academic integrity at VU Amsterdam is available on the VU page about Academic Integrity.

FAIR Principles

The aim of the FAIR Principles is to guide researchers to make their data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable.

Research assessment criteria

Strategy Evaluation Protocol (SEP)

In the Netherlands, research institutes and departments are being evaluated by the Strategy Evaluation Protocol (SEP). One of the aspects that need to be addressed in every evaluation, is Open Science. The extent to which a research institute works openly, is evaluated based on:

  • to which extent the research unit opens up its work to other researchers and societal stakeholders;
  • whether the research unit reuses data;
  • how it stores the research data according to the FAIR principles;
  • how it makes its research data, methods and materials available.

San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)

The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) contains a list of recommendations to improve the way in which research output is assessed. What is relevant for the VU Research Data and Software Management Policy, is that DORA recommends to evaluate the value and impact of all research output, including research data and research software.

Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA)

The Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) states that all research output has to be included in research evaluations, including research data and research software. It also recommends to recognise and reward researchers who make their research output available to others at an early stage in their research, and to recognise and reward open collaboration.

Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information

The Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information aims to transform the way research information is used and produced. The declaration strives to make openness of information about the conduct and communication of research the new norm.

Legislation and regulations

Reseach activities must comply with all legislation and regulations where applicable, for example: