The State of Open Data is a global survey providing insights into researchers’ attitudes towards and experiences of open data. Now in its ninth year, we are delighted to once again partner with Digital Science and Figshare on the longest running survey and analysis on open data.

The 2024 special report ‘Bridging policy and practice in data sharing’ takes an in depth look into what is driving good data sharing practices globally and has now been published.

This year, direct author-sharing practices have been analysed from a funder, country and institutional level. The resulting data shows key trends driving successful open sharing and the growth of global adoption, while also enabling recommendations to be drawn to help bridge the remaining gaps between policy and practice.

Read the press release: New report suggests open data on edge of becoming a recognised global standard for scholarly output

In partnership with:

Download the report

Key findings from The State of Open Data 2024 Special Report

There has been a strong growth in papers linking to data from universities globally since 2010. Although there are differences regionally, with a spread of just 5-10% in data sharing policies, this is less significant than the >85% of articles that were not linked to data by 2022.

Policies for open data sharing are now more consistent globally, which has contributed to a general decline in “on request” sharing with reductions ranging from 1-9% in all but one country - i.e. researchers are now sharing more ‘naturally’. However, there are fluctuations in practice based on the type of research being funded and geolocation, and even where policies are in place, there is not necessarily a significant rise in repository sharing.

The United States has the lowest percentage of researchers that are motivated through citation of their data (4.88%) while having the highest percentage being motivated by funder requirement (10.23%). Conversely, Ethiopia and Japan show similarity with a higher importance of motivation through citation of their data (9.3% and 14.8% respectively) and a similar low importance of motivation from funder requirement (at 2.33% and 1.67% respectively).

Progress in some countries is hindered by limitations in internet connectivity, institutional support, and a lack of awareness. Across the 10 regions analysed*, the US, UK, Germany, and France demonstrated similar trends in repository sharing, averaging around a 25% sharing rate. However, for Brazil, Ethiopia and India the sharing rate remains significantly below a quarter.

A wide range of disciplines are now being covered by the growing number of data availability statement (DAS) policies, but many still lack established community practices, suitable repositories, and/or the ability to handle sensitive data which is difficult to share.

Webinar: The Headlines - Bridging policy and practice in data sharing

The results of this year's analysis will be discussed in a webinar on 23 January 2025, looking at pathways to incentivize open data publishing through innovative metrics, addressing the urgent need for more effective policies, and examining resource disparities across regions.

Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the importance of tailored support for different disciplines and the necessity of practical resources and training to drive meaningful change in the open data landscape. This is an opportunity to engage with experts and contribute to shaping a more equitable and efficient future for open research.

Speakers: Mark Hahnel, VP Open Research, Digital Science & Graham Smith, Open Data Programme Manager, SSCI Journal Indexing

23rd January 2025 15.00 - 15:30 pm GMT | 10:00 - 10:30 am EST Join the conversation! #StateOfOpenData

Special Report 2024 - What's it all about?

Why is this investigation into open research practices important?

Why is this investigation into open research practices important?

Why is this investigation into open research practices important?

Why is this investigation into open research practices important?

Why is this investigation into open research practices important?

show more

2024 Survey data

Anonymised raw data and questionnaire for the 2024 State of Open Data survey developed between SSCI Journal Indexing, Figshare and Digital Science.

State of Open Data 2024 dataset

The State of Open Data 2023 white paper

The 2023 survey showed that the key motivations for researchers to share their data remain similar to previous years, with full citation of research papers or a data citation ranking highly. 89% of respondents also said they make their data available publicly.

One size does not fit all

Variations in responses from different areas of expertise and geographies highlight a need for a more nuanced approach to research data management support globally. For example, 64% of respondents supported the idea of a national mandate for making research data openly available.

Credit is an ongoing issue

For eight years running, our survey has revealed a recurring concern among researchers: the perception that they don't receive sufficient recognition for openly sharing their data. 60% of respondents said they receive too little credit for sharing their data.

AI awareness hasn’t translated to action

We asked survey respondents to indicate if they were using ChatGPT or similar AI tools for data collection, data processing and metadata collection. The most common response to all three questions was ‘I’m aware of these tools but haven’t considered it.’

Supplementary reports based on the 2023 survey

From theory to practice: Case studies & commentary from libraries, publishers, funders and industry

This supplementary report that expands upon the results of our years of surveys. "From theory to practice" provides real-life perspectives from various research community members on open research data sharing.

Download the report

The Global Lens: Highlighting national nuances in researchers attitudes to open data

This report looks at data collected from the survey over the past 8 years and takes a deep dive into responses from different countries, demonstrating that global trends don’t always align with national trends.

Download the report

Open Data in China

A partner report by the Computer Network Information Centre (CNIC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, looking at Chinese researchers’ attitudes towards and experiences of open data based on the survey.

Download the report

Research Data Community

Our Research Data Community is a growing forum of advocates for the sharing of research data. It is a great place to interact with other researchers, read the latest information on research data and help advance data sharing practices.

Join the community

Research data support

Our Research Data Community is a growing forum of advocates for the sharing of research data. It is a great place to interact with other researchers, read the latest information on research data and help advance data sharing practices.

Learn more