The Open Science and Research Reference Architecture 2024–2030

The Open Science and Research Reference Architecture describes the desired state of the target area in 2030. Reference Architecture was developed on the initiative of the National Open Science and Research Steering Group and the Ministry of Education and Culture. The reference architecture enables a controlled development and response of open science and research in continuous change. It ensures the stability of research structures as important facilitators of research.

The Open Science and Research Reference Architecture is based on the goals set out in the Declaration for Open Science and Research, as well as the policies specifying these goals and the objectives and actions derived from them. Where necessary, the architecture has been complemented on the basis of international open science frameworks, such as UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science.

There is no clear boundary between open science and closed science; rather, the open and closed variants form a continuum, where previously closed datasets may become open over time, for example. This is why the reference architecture describes the structures of science and research extensively – as open as possible and as restricted as necessary.

The Open Science and Research Reference Architecture was created by a two-year working group appointed by the National Open Science and Research Steering Group. In the spring of 2021, a preparation group appointed by the Steering group prepared the task assignment for the working group. The working group chairs included Jukka Heikkilä from the Finnish Union of University Professors (first chair in 2022) and Susanna Nykyri from Tampere University (first chair in 2023). Ilmari Jauhiainen and Marita Kari from the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies served as the secretaries of the working group. The Open Science and Research Reference Architecture underwent a round of public feedback for the period of 17 April – 2 June 2023.