LERU believes that the era of data-driven research has arrived, and acknowledges the potential for making research data open and available for re-use. Building on LERU’s earlier Roadmap to research publications, the new LERU Roadmap for Research Data explores in particular the benefits of making data open and provides a guide for European universities who wish to embark on this exciting and challenging journey.

In a series of chapters, the Roadmap charts a course through a number of issues (e.g. advocacy for the benefits/challenges of sharing and re-using research data, technical infrastructures and standards needed to support this move, the likely costs of such developments, the skills and knowledge needed …) and uses a series of Case Studies to illustrate how research-led universities in LERU are currently tackling issues around data management. The Roadmap ends with a series of recommendations which suggest ways in which researchers, LERU universities, support services and the European Commission can make a contribution.