The State of Open Data

Global attitudes towards open data

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.

State of Open Data 2024 Special Report © Springer NatureThe 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:

Digital Science © Digital Science

figshare - The State of Open Data 2019 © figshare

Key findings from The State of Open Data 2024 Special Report

More universities now have data sharing policies as part of their efforts to promote open science and research transparency

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.

The success of open data initiatives reflects a broader policy environment. However, having policies in place is not sufficient on its own

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.

Global uptake of open research practice has increased, but is impacted by country-level motivations for data 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).

Resource disparities remain

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. 

Sustained efforts are needed to respond to the challenges in diverse research areas 

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, Springer Nature

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?

Mark Hahnel, Figshare’s founder and VP Open Research at Digital Science, and Graham Smith, Open Data Programme Manager at Springer Nature, sat down to discuss why this investigation into open research practices is important in building a more equitable research ecosystem.

Why is this investigation into open research practices important?

What's the purpose of the report?

What's new about the 2024 State of Open Data report?

What are your hopes for how the findings might help create a more open research ecosystem?

How can we bridge policy and practice in data sharing?

2024 Survey data

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

State of Open Data 2024 dataset

The State of Open Data 2023 white paper

White paper: The State of Open Data 2023 © Springer Nature 2023The 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.

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.

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.

Research Data Community

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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.


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Research data support

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Springer Nature is committed to supporting researchers in sharing research data and in receiving the credit you deserve. Find out about how we can help you to make sharing your research data faster, easier and more impactful.


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