NSK takes part in the development of the Croatian Open Science Plan

On 19 May 2025, Croatia got the key strategic document for further advancement of open science and nationwide implementation of the principles of open science – the Croatian Open Science Plan.

Officially presented on 20 May 2025 at the Zagreb Horizon Europe Annual Conference, themed Open Science, the Plan defines guidelines, objectives and recommendations for the implementation of the principles of open science in Croatia’s research sector and identifies the activities and expectations in relation to individual researchers, research institutions and decisionmakers.

Developed by the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, the Plan puts particular emphasis on research data management, the development of research infrastructure, enabling open access to published research and on the research evaluation reform based on the open science principles.

NSK supporting open science

As a member of the Croatian Open Science Cloud Initiative (HR-OOZ), at whose initiative the Plan was developed, and an institution systematically supporting various open science initiatives, both through its participation in national and international projects and through organising its own open science-focused activities, the National and University Library in Zagreb (NSK) took part in the Plan’s development.

Apart from offering open access to diverse resources, including terabytes of data available as part of its digital collections, NSK manages Croatia’s national digital repositories. Also worth singling out in this context is the setting up of NSK’s special e-research service catering to the needs and requirements of researchers and other members of the academic community, through its efforts to provide access to a wide range of internationally relevant academic databases, e-journals and other resources offering scientific and specialised information and offer opportunities for open access publishing in the journals of high-profile international academic publishers.

Bibliometric services, national DOI office, citizen science…

NSK also offers the members of the Croatian academic community bibliometrics services, runs the Croatian DOI Office, which operates as an integral part of the global infrastructure for papers published in open access.

The Library organises research-focused educational programmes aimed at providing support for librarians, the editorial boards of academic journals and, of course, researchers themselves. It has lately been placing more and more emphasis on the development of its role in the promotion of citizen science by organising and taking part in various local and international initiatives and projects.

Through their active participation in a wide array of open science-oriented associations, organisations and professional bodies in Croatia and abroad, the Library’s staff contribute to the advancement of open science and related areas and issues.

Regarding the adoption of the Croatian Open Science Plan as a significant step forward towards a faster development of Croatian science as well towards ensuring its sustainability and international visibility, NSK will continue to act as a reliable partner to all the involved partakers in the Plan’s implementation.