Open Science Policy at the University of Warsaw

Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak, Rector of the University of Warsaw, signed an ordinance introducing the Open Science Policy at the university. It defines the basic assumptions and principles regarding open access to the results of research conducted at the University of Warsaw, including publications and research data.

The adoption of the Open Science Policy at the University of Warsaw fulfils one of the key objectives of Action V.3.3 of the “Excellence Initiative – Research University” (IDUB) programme. It is also in line with the 2015 recommendations of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, formulated in the document Kierunki rozwoju otwartego dostępu publikacji i wyników badań naukowych w Polsce.

Parallel to the development of the Policy, an open infrastructure was created at the University, comprising two institutional repositories:

• The Institutional Repository of the University of Warsaw: repozytorium.uw.edu.pl, maintained by the University of Warsaw Library;
• The UW Research Data Repository: danebadawcze.uw.edu.pl, maintained by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling at the University of Warsaw.

From 1st February 2026, every scientific publication authored by a person affiliated with the University of Warsaw will be sent to the Institutional Repository of the University of Warsaw. Research data, on the other hand, should be placed in the University of Warsaw Research Data Repository or a selected trusted subject repository.

The adoption of the Open Science Policy and the launch of two UW repositories enable:

• equal access to knowledge – thanks to the repositories, full texts of publications and research data can be made available free of charge and easily. The repositories’ compliance with WCAG 2.1 guidelines guarantees accessibility also for people with disabilities;
• greater visibility and impact of research – making scientific work available in repositories increases its accessibility, citability and reuse, which supports the development of science and raises the prestige of researchers;
• transparency and replicability of research – open data and publications enable the verification of results, analysis of research methods and building trust in science;
• easier collaboration and resource savings – open access promotes knowledge sharing and avoids duplication of research, allowing for better use of time and resources;
• improved data quality – repositories support good data management practices, promoting careful planning, documentation and description of the research process;
• strengthening teaching and civic education – open resources can be used in education and engage the public in research processes;
• fair use and promotion of open licences – the policy promotes knowledge sharing while respecting copyright and ethical principles;
• easy bibliography management – the publication repository allows for creating and exporting publication lists in various formats as well as supporting reporting processes;
• introduction of intuitive tools and integration with UW systems – a modern interface and the ability to connect repositories with other IT tools make them easy to use for both individual users and the entire institution.

Openness in science

With the introduction of the Open Science Policy, the University of Warsaw joins the group of universities promoting openness in science. More information about the benefits of the new infrastructure can be found in an article published in the university magazine “UW” (No. 3/112, 2024).