« We are excited to announce the launch of a Joint Task Force on Negotiating Openness of Publication Metadata, established in partnership between the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Informat…

Key research data and analytics—such as publication metadata, citation counts, and funding information—are often locked behind paywalls, creating a “black box” that limits transparency, accountability...

Below, I’ve taken the liberty to “peer-review” recent pro...

Key research data and analytics—such as publication metadata, citation counts, and funding information—are often locked behind paywalls, creating a “black box” that limits transparency, accountability...

Research information, or scholarly metadata, is important for decision making around strategic priorities, distribution of resources, and evaluation of researchers and institutions. It is also used by funders, institutions and governments to assess the effect of policies, and by researchers and societal stakeholders to find and assess research results. The value of openly available research information is increasingly recognized, as it supports fair research assessment and makes it possible for everyone to find and assess relevant research.

We are excited to announce the launch of a **Joint Task Force on Negotiating Openness of Publication Metadata** , established in partnership between the **Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information** and the **OA2020 Initiative.** This Joint Task Force represents an important step in uniting efforts to bring **greater transparency to scholarly publication metadata** ; an essential component of a fair, inclusive, and truly open research ecosystem. Why this matters Research information and analytics, such as **publication metadata, citation counts, and funding information** , are often locked behind paywalls, creating a “black box” that limits transparency, accountability, and academic sovereignty. These closed systems shape researcher careers and funding decisions without appropriate scrutiny or reproducibility. Recent discussions, including a well-attended OA2020 focus session, showed strong community engagement and readiness to act. Building on this momentum, the Joint Task Force will focus on developing **practical strategies for including openness of publication metadata in negotiations between research organizations and scholarly publishers**. **Ludo Waltman** (Leiden University, Barcelona Declaration) **emphasizes** the importance of openness of publication metadata: _“Universities make large investments in agreements with publishers, but many publishers do not even make basic metadata such as author affiliations openly available. As a result, despite their investments in agreements with publishers, universities struggle to keep track of their own outputs.”_ What the Joint Task Force will do The Joint Task Force will focus initially on developing practical strategies for negotiators to embed openness of metadata into their agreements with publishers. Key activities include: * Developing a shared negotiation framework and model clauses * Creating practical tools and templates to support implementation * Piloting and refining approaches in real-world negotiations * Promoting awareness and building capacity across the community Through these activities, the Joint Task Force aims to provide concrete resources that negotiators can use to advance openness of metadata step by step. **Miranda Bennett**(California Digital Library, OA2020) **states:** _“Establishing a negotiation framework and developing supporting resources will empower negotiators to set clear, consistent expectations for publishers, aligning our collective effort toward opening publication metadata.”_ Leadership and scope The Joint Task Force is co-chaired by**Miranda Bennett**(California Digital Library)**** representing OA2020, and **Ludo Waltman** (Leiden University) representing the Barcelona Declaration. Members will be drawn from both the OA2020 and Barcelona Declaration communities, ensuring wide engagement and shared ownership. Within the Barcelona Declaration, the Joint Task Force is embedded in the **Working Group**“Journal Article and Book Metadata”. Within OA2020, it is embedded in the **Working Group**“Transparency to Steward the OA Transition”**,** where establishing the Joint Task Force is a first priority. What’s next The Joint Task Force is about to begin its work, with phased activities and flexible opportunities for participation. We believe this Joint Task Force marks an important milestone: a**unified voice calling for openness of publication metadata** to support a transparent and sustainable open research information ecosystem. Do you want to know more about the Joint Task Force? Feel free to contact us at contact@oa2020.org or contact@barcelona-declaration.org