OpenAIRE: Supporting the H2020 Open Access Mandate

Abstract

This paper will focus on the practices used by the OpenAIRE Cyprus National Open Access Desk as part of a pan-European network, for the implementation of the European Union’s vision and policies for Open Science and Open Access to knowledge. Furthermore, the purpose of this paper is to present the scope, the role and the actions of the European Project OpenAIRE – Open Access Infrastructure for Research in Europe, which since 2009 is working towards the support of the European Commission’s policies for Open Science. By definition “Open Science represents a new approach to the scientific process based on cooperative work and new ways of diffusing knowledge by using digital technologies and new collaborative tools. The idea captures a systemic change to the way science and research have been carried out for the last fifty years: shifting from the standard practices of publishing research results in scientific publications towards sharing and using all available knowledge at an earlier stage in the research process [1]”.