Open Science in TNMU

Open Access (OA) is a publishing model that provides free, unrestricted access to research outputs for all users. It applies to scientific articles, research data, reports, and other forms of scientific communication.

Licensing is a crucial tool in Open Science. It enables legal and transparent knowledge sharing while respecting intellectual property. The right license promotes dissemination, reuse, and research impact.

Open licenses are used across Open Science, Open Access, and OER to allow free use under specific conditions.

The most common are Creative Commons (CC) licenses:

• CC BY 4.0 — allows any use with required attribution. Recommended for Open Science.
• CC BY-SA — use permitted if derivative works are licensed identically.
• CC BY-NC — non-commercial use only.
• CC BY-ND — redistribution allowed without modifications.
• CC0 — waiver of all rights (Public Domain).

Example in Open Science

An article licensed under CC BY 4.0 can be:

• Read and saved
• Translated
• Used in textbooks
• Cited in publications — with appropriate attribution

Article Versions

• Preprint — version before peer review (e.g., arXiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv, SocArXiv)
• Postprint — peer-reviewed version, accepted but not journal-formatted

Open Access Models

• Gold OA — fully open journals; immediate access upon publication; often requires author fees (APC)
• Diamond/Platinum OA — open journals with no charges for authors or readers; funded by institutions or sponsors
• Green OA — authors self-archive in open repositories (e.g., Zenodo, institutional repositories), often after embargo
• Hybrid OA — subscription journals with paid open access option for individual articles

Embargo Period

A compromise between traditional publishing and OA, this period restricts full-text access after publication (typically 6, 12, or 24 months depending on the journal).

• Common in medicine: 6–12 months
• Postprint can be legally deposited in repositories after the embargo

Purpose of Embargo

• Enables publication in prestigious journals
• Allows later open sharing (Green OA)
• Doesn’t contradict Open Science, but delays access
• Funders (e.g., Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, NSF, USAID) increasingly require zero or short embargo

Open Access Journals (Gold, Diamond) publish without embargo.

Institutional Repositories and Open Access

Institutional repositories are digital platforms that ensure open access to scholarly materials such as publications, dissertations, reports, and research data. They facilitate Green Open Access by enabling researchers to upload preprints or postprints of their work.

The Repository of Ternopil National Medical University — https://repository.tdmu.edu.ua/ — provides open access to the university’s scientific publications and research outputs.

UNETHICAL PUBLISHING PRACTICES 

Unethical publishing violates the principles of academic integrity and includes:

Predatory Journals — charge fees without proper peer review, editing, or archiving; may use fake impact factors.

Signs include:

• Lack of transparent editorial policy
• Aggressive publishing invitations
• Questionable editorial board
• Mimicking reputable journal names

Paper Mills — commercial entities that create or sell fake articles, often using fabricated data.

Salami Slicing — splitting one study into multiple narrow papers to increase publication count; undermines research integrity.

Other Unethical Practices:

• Guest authorship (including non-contributors)
• Plagiarism/self-plagiarism
• Data fabrication or falsification
• Duplicate submissions
• Fake peer review

Open scientific data are digital datasets created or used in research and made publicly available for viewing, analysis, reuse, and distribution with no or minimal restrictions. These may include numerical tables, audio/video files, images, code, metadata, lab notebooks, and protocols.

According to OECD (2015) definition, data are open if licensed for free use, modification, and redistribution by anyone.

Categories of Research Data:

1. Primary (Raw) Data – directly obtained (e.g., biochemical test results, survey responses)
2. Processed Data – cleaned, recoded, or normalized (e.g., summary tables, averages)
3. Analyzed/Interpreted Data – results of statistical analysis (e.g., graphs, models)
4. Simulated/Modeled Data – generated by computer simulations (e.g., 3D models)
5. Supporting Data – protocols, notebooks, code, etc.
6. Confidential/Sensitive Data – includes personal or sensitive info; requires anonymization/encryption
7. Metadata – “data about data”; describes content, structure, context, authorship, format, keywords, and access terms

FAIR Principles for Open Data

• Findable – data must be indexed and uniquely identified (e.g., DOI)
• Accessible – clear access conditions, even for restricted data
• Interoperable – formatted for exchange across systems
• Reusable – licensed for reuse and documented

Benefits of Open Data

• Improved reproducibility
• Reduced duplication of effort
• Wider dissemination
• New discoveries from existing data
• Citizen science engagement

Legal & Ethical Aspects

• Data protection laws (e.g., GDPR)
• Anonymization of sensitive data
• Restrictions for commercial/defense/intergovernmental data

Open Data Repositories

• Zenodo – EU-supported, for publications, data, code; includes DOI, licensing
• Figshare – accepts all formats, integrates with ORCID
• arXiv – preprint archive (physics, math, comp sci, etc.)
• Dryad – focus on life sciences
• GitHub – for code sharing and collaboration

Institutional Repositories and Open Data

Local repositories serve not only as archives for publications but also as secure storage for research data, ensuring their integrity and alignment with FAIR principles.

The Ternopil National Medical University Repository — https://repository.tdmu.edu.ua/ — provides open access to academic publications and research data, supporting transparency, long-term preservation, and adherence to FAIR principles. 

Data Management Plan (DMP)

A DMP outlines how data will be collected, stored, processed, documented, and shared during and after a project. Required in many funding programs (e.g., Horizon Europe).

Key DMP Elements:

• Types of data generated
• Storage and backup methods
• Dissemination and access plans (e.g., open repositories)
• Legal/ethical restrictions (e.g., GDPR, anonymization)
• Metadata formats, standards, and licenses (e.g., CC BY 4.0, FAIR)

DMP-guided Open Data Publication

Should predefine:

• What data will be made open, and when
• Format and metadata
• Chosen license (e.g., CC BY, CC0)
• Long-term access and preservation

Useful Resources:

• RE3data.org – global registry of data repositories
• GO FAIR Initiative – promotes FAIR principles
• OpenAIRE Guidelines – technical standards for repository compatibility

• CODATA – Committee on Data for Science and Technology (ICSU)

Open Methods refer to the publication of methodologies, protocols, code, and tools that allow results to be reproduced and verified. Transparency in methods builds trust and supports reuse.

Key tools in Open Science include:

• Preprint platforms (e.g., arXiv, bioRxiv)
• Data management systems (e.g., Open Science Framework)
• Analysis and visualization tools
• Impact metrics services (e.g., Altmetric, Dimensions)

Institutional Policies Supporting Open Science

Institutional support is vital for successful Open Science implementation. Such policies may require:

• Open Access publishing
• Mandatory DMPs
• Compliance with ethical standards
• Incentives for open collaboration

Open Science Metrics

Beyond traditional citations, open publications and data can be evaluated via altmetrics, reflecting social impact, media mentions, and engagement on social platforms. These help researchers understand their reach and audience.