This focal area is concerned with studying and promoting openness of research information, for instance information about the outputs and activities of researchers and research teams. It also focuses on the use of open research information to support evaluation and policy making in science.

The Focal Area Information & Openness concerns itself with "the complex interplay between decision making processes in science, the information used in these processes, and the nature of this information in terms of properties such as openness, transparency, inclusiveness, and ownership."

For more information, please read our 2024 blog post Toward open research information in which the focal area rolled out its agenda for the coming five years. You can also look at our follow-up blog post From vision to action: our first two years in the focal area Information & Openness (2025) which reviews our progress toward reaching our goals within our agenda and reflect on where we are now.