The University of Santiago, Chile, has officially approved its new Open Access and Research Data Management Regulations via Exempt Resolution No. 1661. This instrument sets forth specific guidelines to make institutionally-generated knowledge, financed by public funds, open, accessible, and reusable by society.
Inspired by initiatives from organizations such as UNESCO and ANID, these regulations seek to transform research production and communication. This transformation ensures open access to publications, the proper management and dissemination of research data, and the development of data management plans, leading to increased transparency in scientific knowledge processes and results.
The document’s central guidelines establish principles and obligations for Usach academics engaged in research across all disciplines. Firstly, it champions open access to scientific publications by encouraging their deposit in the institutional repository or on recognized platforms, thereby boosting their visibility and enabling barrier-free consultation. Secondly, it regulates the management and openness of research data, promoting its preservation, documentation, and availability according to the FAIR principles—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.
Viewing this approval as a strategic milestone for university research, Dr. Alberto Monsalve, Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation, and Creation, emphasized the university’s commitment. He explained: “This regulation institutionalizes a commitment to openness and ethics in scientific production. It is not just a matter of complying with international standards, but of fully assuming the role we have as a state and public university: to generate knowledge that is accessible, useful, and transformative for society. In a context where science must respond to urgent challenges, opening up research results is also a form of social responsibility.”
He also highlighted how this initiative strengthens Usach’s dedication to its public role and its relationship with the community. “Open science is fully consistent with our university’s mission,” he stated. “As a public institution, we not only have the capacity to produce knowledge, but also the duty to put it at the service of the people.”
Highlighting the importance of these regulations in initiating a cultural change in research, Tania Aldunate, Scientific Information Manager at VRIIC, explained: “The regulations are geared towards more transparent and collaborative research practices. This involves access not just to the final peer-reviewed article, but also to intermediate products like the data management plan and the research data itself. These elements not only allow for the validation of results but also promote further, derivative research.”
She also highlighted that this openness operates under strict ethical and legal criteria. “Specifically, this applies to publicly funded research that does not have barriers to disclosure,” she clarified, “such as data protected by Law 19.628, research with patent potential, or existing contracts with third parties that limit short-term disclosure.”
The approval of these regulations enables the Vice-Rector’s Office for Research, Innovation, and Creation to support the academic community in mandate compliance. This also involves encouraging the use of institutional repositories like the Usach Data Repository and the Academic Repository for open access knowledge management and dissemination, ultimately coordinating efforts for the effective deployment of Open Science.