Open Science in the Swedish context: Practical training for transparency in research

Open Science is a global movement that promotes transparency and collaboration in research. At SciLifeLab, we’re committed to supporting this shift by integrating Open Science practices throughout our research environment. One way we do this is through hands-on training and educational initiatives.

A recent example is the launch of the course Open Science in the Swedish Context, which was delivered in person this spring. Jessica Lindvall, Head of Training at SciLifeLab, explains: “Open Science is crucial for the evolution of research, and in life science we understand its impact and importance. SciLifeLab as a Research Infrastructure is dedicated to influencing a cultural transformation towards openness, crafting an environment that enriches scientific inquiry and progress.”

Training for change: building practical skills in Open Science

The course was created in collaboration between SciLifeLab, NBIS, and SND. It was led by experts Ineke Luijten (Scientific Training Officer at the SciLifeLab Training Hub), Elin Kronander (Training Lead and Data Steward at NBIS), and David Rayner (Training Coordinator at SND). Their goal was to turn national Open Science strategies, such as Sweden’s research policy bill (Prop. 2024/25:60), SUHF’s Färdplan för öppen vetenskap, and KB’s Nationella riktlinjer för öppen vetenskap, into practical steps researchers can use in their everyday work.

Ineke Luijten, the course’s principal leader, reflects on the need for this kind of training: “Researchers often face many uncertainties when it comes to implementing Open Science in practice. What are the current policies in Sweden? What types of open access exist? Why should I share my data, and will these efforts be recognised or rewarded? In this course, we offered a practical framework aimed at addressing such questions. Our goal was to help researchers integrate Open Science more seamlessly into their daily work, promoting greater transparency and accessibility in science. It was particularly rewarding to see participants from a wide range of academic disciplines and career stages, from PhD students to PIs, actively engage with the content, question established norms, and explore new, open approaches to research.”

From policy to practice: what the course covered

During the five-day course, participants engaged with a wide range of topics, from study preregistration and reusing data from repositories, to applying open licenses to research outputs, rethinking researcher evaluation, and including the public through citizen science. Experts from several Swedish institutions contributed to the course, including Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm University, Vetenskapsrådet, Kungliga Biblioteket, Vetenskap & Allmänhet, and KI Innovations. International perspectives were also included, such as Open Science philosopher Richard Williams and industry input from Abeni Wickham at SciFree, who spoke about community aspects of Open Science.

Elin Kronander shares her hopes for the course’s long-term impact:

“Upon completion, we envision the participants to advocate for Open Science, as they have been equipped with the knowledge on how to implement transparent practices into their work and capitalize on the exchange and augmentation of shared knowledge.”

All course materials are open, annotated, and follow FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). They’re available for anyone to use or adapt in their own Open Science training. The course is closely aligned with Sweden’s national goal of fully implementing Open Science by 2026.

SciLifeLab/NBIS/SND Open Science course: https://scilifelab-training.github.io/open-science/2505/