Open Science
Data Policies and Principles
The Belmont Forum recognizes that open data sharing is essential to address the challenges of global environmental change. With this in mind, in 2015, the Belmont Forum adopted the Open Data Policy and Principles based on recommendations from its Community Strategy and Implementation Plan (CSIP).
The policy’s purpose is to facilitate access to scientific data and improve informed decision-making regarding environmental changes. This policy aims to widen access to data, promote its long-term preservation, and improve data management and usage. Additionally, it encourages data literacy and the implementation of best practices.
The Belmont Forum advocates for an integrated approach to its research programs, and recommends training in data management and planning for the costs associated with data-intensive research. The ultimate goal is to establish global, interoperable, and accessible digital infrastructure that fosters collaborative science and benefits society.
Key Data Principles
The Belmont Forum believes that scientific data should be:
Discoverable through catalogs and search engines.
Accessible as open data with minimal delay.
Understandable to researchers across various disciplines.
Reusable and include provenance, quality, and uncertainty indicators.
Managed and protected for future use in trustworthy repositories.
Belmont Forum DEIA Statement
The Belmont Forum’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Statement establishes a formal commitment to embedding these principles across all global environmental change research activities.
This document outlines four core objectives, including mainstreaming DEIA in the Belmont Forum activities and reducing biases in project selection, to ensure equitable participation and enhance the rigor and impact of transdisciplinary science.
By championing DEIA, the Belmont Forum fosters an open, fair, and accessible research environment, aligning with the Open Science principle of broadening participation and leveraging multiple ways of knowing for more relevant and robust results.
The Belmont Forum and its members are committed to promoting and applying these principles, reinforcing scientific integrity, and fostering global innovation through better use of research data.
Several projects funded by the Belmont Forum have made their data sets available as open access, in line with the Belmont Forum Data Policies and Principles. Researchers are encouraged to use these data sets to enhance scientific collaboration and advance the goals of the Belmont Challenge.
To view the Belmont Forum Data Set Catalog, click here. For more details or to get involved, please contact the Secretariat at info@belmontforum.org.