IOP Publishing launches free open data training for early career researchers
IOP Publishing has launched a new, free open data training course aimed at early career researchers (ECRs), as transparent and reusable data becomes increasingly central to research integrity, reproducibility and funder requirements.
Developed in response to demand from the physical and environmental science communities, the course follows a 2024 IOP Publishing study analysing data sharing practices across more than 30,000 published articles.
The research found that while more researchers are willing to share data, many continue to face practical, ethical and technical barriers.
The new course provides hands-on guidance on making research data openly available, highlighting how strong data practices can improve the visibility, credibility and impact of research. Topics covered include ethical considerations, repository selection, licensing and long-term data stewardship.
Delivered entirely online and free of charge, the course allows learners to progress at their own pace through bite-size modules. Participants receive a certificate upon completion. The training is hosted on the IOP Excellence platform, where users can also access its Peer Review Excellence course.
Laura Feetham-Walker, Reviewer Engagement Manager and lead course developer says: “We listen carefully to our community, and this course was developed because researchers told us what they needed. Open data is essential to scientific progress, supporting more transparent, reusable and trustworthy research. Our training offers researchers practical support so they can share their data with confidence, meet growing funder expectations and support greater transparency.”
IOP Publishing has expanded its focus on open data in recent years. Since 2022, authors have been required to include data availability statements, with a strengthened policy introduced in 2023 requiring researchers who cannot share their data to explain why. In 2025, the publisher also piloted mandatory public data-sharing in two Environmental Research journals.