News
Please find older news releases in our News Archive.
MPDL sponsors OA Switchboard integration for Open Journal Systems
OA Switchboard has announced a plugin for PKP's Open Journal Systems (OJS), designed to enhance visibility and streamline reporting for diamond open access journals. The development has been made possible by funding from the Max Planck Digital Library.
A community-led initiative, OA Switchboard simplifies information sharing across different stakeholders about open access publications across the publication journey. This new plugin will allow publishers using OJS to seamlessly connect to OA Switchboard, streamlining reporting to research funders, libraries, and consortia, and making it easier to share OA output and metadata with key stakeholders. This tool will also provide publishers with improved management information and insights into their portfolio and stakeholder relationships.
Ádám Dér, Head of Scientific Information Services at the MPDL, says: "The MPDL is proud to contribute to the development of open infrastructure that facilitates the streamlining of processes in the ever-complex world of open academic publishing. In line with the Max Planck Society's vision of barrier-free access to scientific knowledge, we remain dedicated to creating the conditions for open scholarly processes for our researchers and the global scientific community. We're honored to support the creation of a plug-in that enables standardized OA reporting for OJS publishers via the OA Switchboard, which also elevates their position and visibility among libraries, consortia, and funders."
For more details, please see the full announcement here
25 years of Scientific Information Provision
A tale of service excellence, breaking paywalls and global leadership:
MPG’s Scientific Information Provision celebrates 25 years of supporting research
The Max Planck Society is thrilled to mark the 25th anniversary of its Scientific Information Provision ("Literatur-Grundversorgung"), the core service provided by the Max Planck Digital Library that gives our researchers near-universal access to the literature they need to advance their work, while ensuring their results reach a wide audience.
Imagine coming home after a long day, flipping a switch, and instantly having light. You likely don’t think about all the infrastructure behind it—the work that goes into making something so basic and necessary available at your fingertips. For researchers, access to knowledge is just as vital. If you’ve ever been blocked by a paywall when trying to access a research article or textbook, you’ll understand how essential easy access to scientific works can be.
Twenty-five years ago, at the onset of the digital age, the Max Planck Society saw the potential of a centralized infrastructure to deliver universal information services for all of the institutes in an efficient and cost-effective way that, in close collaboration with the local libraries, could give the best possible support to our researchers. This visionary idea was the origin of what we call the Scientific Information Provision (or “Literatur-Grundversorgung”, in German)—a strategic service aimed at ensuring that all our scientists have access to the literature they need to thrive. It transformed the way we work, with an impact that has reached far beyond the walls of our institutes.
What began as an innovative concept has grown into one of the world’s leading research libraries. Today, the Max Planck Digital Library, which upon its creation became responsible for the management and development of the provision, handles more than 200 licenses that ensure seamless access to over 17,000 peer-reviewed journals and 900,000 e-books. This success is thanks to a devoted team that understands the needs of our researchers and librarians and works closely with service providers to deliver the tools and support they need, as well as the Max Planck institutes, who dedicated a portion of their budgets to launch this initiative.
But the significance of the Scientific Information Provision extends beyond mere convenience. It reflects a larger mission: not just to access existing knowledge, but to amplify the research produced by the Max Planck Society and make it accessible to as many people as possible. This vision aligns with the goals of the Berlin Declaration on Open Access, of which the Max Planck Society was a key signatory and advocate. Through the global push for open scholarship, libraries like ours have become not just custodians of information but champions of global knowledge-sharing, ensuring that research is freely available and highly visible.
Achieving universal access to scientific knowledge requires global alignment and cooperation. The Max Planck Society has been a leader in this effort, with MPDL taking on an important position that has influenced and inspired peers around the world in the common goal of open scholarship. In Germany, we have been key contributors to national open access agreements (the groundbreaking DEAL agreements). And through its coordination of the global initiatives OA2020 and ESAC, the MPDL has shaped the evolution of scholarly publishing, creating strategic and practical frameworks to make open access a reality, and earning recognition for its significant impact in fostering a better world.
As we celebrate this 25th anniversary, we reflect with pride on all we've accomplished for our researchers and the wider academic community. Just as the infrastructure behind a light switch makes life easier without us even thinking about it, our work has quietly empowered research and discovery. We look ahead, more committed than ever to leading the charge toward open scholarship and embracing the challenges that will continue to power a brighter, more accessible future for science.
If you have any questions or feedback about the MPG Scientific Information Provision, we’d love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
New Project Announcement: SciBoost – Decentral Continuous Publication
MPDL is excited to announce a groundbreaking collaboration with the University College London (UCL) Department of Computer Science. The SciBoost – Decentral Continuous Publication project aims to revolutionize how research findings are shared and accessed.
SciBoost is designed to enhance openness in the scientific community by providing a transparent, accountable, and decentralized system. This innovative platform will ensure that all research findings, including minor results, negative results, publications, and technology transfers, are accounted for and accessible. The continuous updates and corrections facilitated by SciBoost will ensure that research and credit attribution communication remains accurate, fostering transparency and integrity in scientific research.
Within the SciBoost project, UCL and MPDL will focus on creating a decentralized, continuous process that integrates: data harvesting, modeling, discovery, collaboration, publication, and knowledge transfer of research data. This comprehensive approach aims to streamline the research process and make scientific data more accessible and reliable. The collaboration manifests the first milestone in combining traditional and decentralized science methods with two renowned research institutions, MPG and UCL.
"I am thrilled to explore the potential impact of what we call continuous publishing. This concept allows research findings to be shared and published as they emerge. Publications can evolve, change, and diverge in different directions, reflecting the dynamic nature of the research process, which is not linear and doesn't conclude with a single publication. The idea of continuous publishing aims to capture exactly this essence." Says Friederike Kleinfercher, deputy general manager of the Max Planck Digital Library. "It is equally important to involve existing publishers and to complement the current processes in academic publishing, rather than introducing new, parallel processes that would complicate scholarly work," adds Tomaso Aste, Professor of Complexity Science at UCL.
We look forward to the innovative solutions and advancements from this collaboration. Stay tuned for more updates on the SciBoost project!
Leadnet Symposium 2024
On September 16 and 17, the MPDL participated in the 2024 LeadNet Symposium, which took place at the Harnack House in Berlin.
The LeadNet Symposium is an annual networking event for scientists with leadership responsibilities within the Max Planck Society. It serves as a platform for discussing scientific and organizational topics and promotes interaction between research group leaders. This year, around 50 group leaders attended the event to share their scientific and technological insights, work as well as common career and administrative challenges.
The symposium began with a warm welcome from the LeadNet Steering Committee. The first day offered a variety of exciting program points, including several notable lectures and a keynote speech by Gerd Gigerenzer from the MPI for Human Development. The highlight of the day was the Scientific Speed Dating, where research leaders were encouraged to network and exchange ideas about their projects and roles within the Max Planck Society.
On the second day, the MPDL led two workshops: The "Open Science" workshop aimed to inform participants about the principles and practices that make scientific research more accessible, transparent, and collaborative. The "AI-tools in science" workshop provided insights into the use of AI technologies to promote scientific discoveries and innovations.
The event provided the ideal framework for discussing the scientific requirements and recent challengeges of research group leaders in more detail. The MPDL looks forward to being part of the next LeadNet Symposium again and continuing the exchange of knowledge with group leaders of the MPG.
More Info:
Open Science Summer School for Early Career Researchers
From September 9 to 13, 2024, the joint Open Science Summer School of the LMU Open Science Center and the Max Planck Digital Library took place in Munich.
The five-day event, which was aimed in particular at researchers at the beginning of their scientific careers, focused on the transparency, reproducibility and credibility of research.
In his lecture “Science as amateur software development”, Professor Richard McElreath from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology gave participants tips on how to incorporate insights from software development into their research work. In his sessions on the “reproducibility crisis” and “data sharing”, Professor Felix Schönbrodt from the LMU Open Science Center called for more transparency and openness during the research process. The motto was: “as open as possible, and as closed as necessary”.
One of the highlights of the Summer School was the panel discussion titled “Open Science incentives and institutional change”, which focused on how to create incentives to further integrate open science methods into the scientific community.
More than 100 young scientists had registered for the coveted places, 40 were selected and were able to participate – 20 in person and 20 online. Numerous lectures were open to the public online, with more than 450 participants from around the world registered to view them.
Materials from the Summer School, including recordings of the lectures, presentations and workshop documents.
More info:
New Funding Agreement between the Max Planck Digital Library and the publisher Mohr Siebeck
The Max Planck Digital Library has concluded a groundbreaking agreement with the renowned publisher Mohr Siebeck to ensure support for Open Access publications for scientists at the Max Planck Institutes. Under this agreement, the MPDL will cover the additional costs incurred by publishing in Open Access for monographs and edited volumes in which researchers from the Max Planck Society and its institutes are involved.
AI Tools in Science: Researchers Discuss Use Cases
June 17-18, 2024 | Munich: Over 50 Max Planck researchers from more than 20 Max Planck Institutes have met at the MPDL in Munich to discuss a broad range of AI-related topics regarding using AI tools in research.
In addition to researchers and support staff, the meet-up also counted the participation of representatives from the GWDG and the MPCDF, which, together with the MPDL, provide different AI services for the MPG.
The objective of the meet-up was to create an instance of exchange and sharing of know-how of tools or processes that incorporate AI to accelerate research.
Researchers valued the opportunity to connect with other fellow Max Planck researchers who are early adopters of AI- tools in the context of research. A common worry researchers share is the fast pace of development and the arrival of new tools almost on a weekly basis, which can quickly become overwhelming. The lack of training on how to use AI for research, including best practices, was another point voiced by participants. Another realization of the meet-up was that several AI services are already being offered in the MPG via the MPDL, the GWDG, and the MPCDF, but most participants needed to be made aware of them.
This was in contrast, for example, to the situation in the Fraunhofer Society, which developed a dedicated and centralized AI portal in 2023 called FhGenie and which was presented by Prof. Ingo Weber as an external guest at the meet-up.
The meet-up marks a significant step forward for the MPG in embracing and integrating AI tools into its research processes. Despite the challenges and rapid developments in AI technology, this gathering underscored the community's commitment to fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the effective use of AI tools across the MPIs. By bringing together researchers, support staff, and representatives from key service providers like the GWDG, MPCDF, and the MPDL, the event highlighted the vast potential for AI to enhance research outcomes and efficiency. This event addressed current challenges and set the stage for a closer, more AI-knowledgeable research community within the MPG, envisioning a future where AI tools are naturally integrated into scientific work.
The Future of Protecting Intellectual Property: Blockchain Roundtable in Berlin
In a fruitful discussion at the 4th Blockchain Roundtable held at the Deutscher Bundestag, key figures from the legal and tech worlds came together, discussing “Code is Law? Adapting Our Legal System to Smart Contracts and Legal Tech”. The event, featuring Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann and Member of Parliament Frank Schäffler, delved into how the German legal system can adapt to the rapidly evolving landscape of technology.
On behalf of the Max Planck Gesellschaft and the bloxberg Association for the Advancement of Science and Blockchain, MPDL’s Sandra Vengadasalam took part in the discussion.
The roundtable was not just a high-level theoretical debate but also addressed practical concerns, particularly those of the bloxberg Association and the DeSci (Decentralized Science) community. Amongst the topics discussed were the bloxberg timestamps, also known as Research Object Certificates, and their legal standing in Germany, especially in the context of intellectual property (IP) protection.
The good news is that the German civil code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, BGB) apparently is well-equipped to accommodate such innovative tools, suggesting that bloxberg certificates could play a crucial role in resolving IP disputes. This is a significant step forward for researchers and innovators looking for reliable ways to protect their work.
More Info:
bloxberg Association for the Advancement of Science and Blockchain
Max Planck Society subscribes to Opening the Future monograph programme at CEU Press
The MPDL has subscribed to CEU Press’s Opening the Future programme, providing all at Max Planck Society with unlimited and concurrent access to 100 different eBooks on subjects including Central and Eastern European history from medieval times to the fall of communism, and socio-political, economic and cultural changes, both past and present, across Central and Eastern Europe.
Read the full announcement here
MPG President Patrick Cramer visits MPDL
April 23, 2024, Munich – The Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) was honored to host a visit from a distinguished delegation, including MPG President Patrick Cramer, Vice President Sibylle Günter, and General Secretary Simone Schwanitz. This visit underscores a significant milestone in the MPDL's journey, highlighting the critical role of our work within the Max Planck Society.
Throughout the day, the MPDL team had the opportunity to showcase our latest projects, achievements, and the innovative solutions we are developing to address contemporary challenges. The discussions with our guests were not only enlightening but also reflected a shared commitment to advancing research excellence.The visit from the leadership of the Max Planck Society is a testament to the MPDL's impactful work and its pivotal role in advancing digital research services and tools.
The MPDL extends its heartfelt thanks to the delegation for their time and the encouragement provided to our team. This memorable day serves as a catalyst for future endeavors, reinforcing our dedication to excellence in research and innovation.
6th Research Data Management (RDM) workshop
From March 19-21, the Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) hosted its 6th Research Data Management (RDM) workshop, at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg. This gathering united colleagues from Max Planck Institutes across Germany, creating a vibrant forum for the exchange of knowledge and experiences in RDM.
The workshop started with an onboarding course in Research Data Management, setting the stage for insightful discussions that followed. Over the next two days, participants explored RDM activities from various institutes, engaging deeply with topics such as software licensing, RDM policies, Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELNs), and data protection issues. Contributions from speakers representing the Fraunhofer Society, Leibniz Association, and Helmholtz Association broadened the discussions, offering diverse perspectives on the challenges and tools related to RDM.
A unique feature of this year's workshop was its venue - the planetarium within the House of Astronomy at the MPIA. This inspiring setting was not just a backdrop but a central part of the event, with a keynote talk on the use of Artificial Intelligence in Astronomy, a guided tour of the historical astronomical observatory, and engaging presentations at the planetarium.
A big thank you to all the contributors, and the MPIA, for its invitation and organization that made this event a memorable experience. The collaborative spirit and shared insights have once again highlighted the workshop as a cornerstone event for fostering RDM practices within the Max Planck Society. The 6th RDM workshop has underscored the MPDL's commitment to advancing research data management within the Max Planck Society, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning in this evolving field.
More info:
RDM Homepage
MPDL's messaging service Minerva Messenger as a use case for Mattermost
At the core of the Max Planck Digital Library's mission, Minerva Messenger emerges, based on Mattermost: Born from the necessity of seamless collaboration during the unforeseen challenges of 2020, this platform has quickly become a valuable communication tool for the MPG.
Minerva Messenger was developed by MPDL's forward-thinking approach and the critical requirement for a secure, intuitive platform. This service not only facilitates effortless communication but also enables MPG researchers and their collaboration partners to share documents securely, manage projects through dedicated channels, and collaborate in real time, ensuring that innovation continues unabated.
Discover the whole story of how the service came to life and what features you get as an MPG researcher here.
More info:
Max Planck authors to continue to read and publish open access on Wiley and Springer Nature journals
The MPDL is pleased to announce its ongoing participation in the Germany-wide transformative open access agreements with Wiley and Springer Nature. On behalf of the Max Planck Society, the MPDL has again signed up for the two agreements, ensuring that Max Planck researchers can continue to publish their work open access at no cost to them, while also maintaining access to the publishers’ journal portfolios.
The opt-in agreements with two publishers were negotiated by the DEAL Konsortium, on behalf of the Alliance of Science Organizations in Germany. Having achieved the required institutional participation rates, the contracts are now officially in place, running from 1 January 2024 through 31 December 2028.
Read the announcement on the DEAL Konsortium webpage
More info
Information for authors (Wiley)
Information for authors (Springer Nature)
List of Wiley and Springer Nature journals on the MPG OA Journal Finder
MPDL renews read and publish open access agreement with The Company of Biologists
The Max Planck Digital Library has renewed the read and publish agreement with The Company of Biologists. The agreement will run from 1 January 2024 until 31 December 2026, and corresponding authors at Max Planck Society’s 86 institutes can continue to publish research articles immediately Open Access (OA) in our hybrid journals (Development, Journal of Cell Science and Journal of Experimental Biology) and our fully Open Access journals (Disease Models & Mechanisms and Biology Open) without paying an article processing charge (APC). Researchers at participating institutions also benefit from unlimited access to our hybrid journals, including their full archives dating back to 1853.
“We at the MPDL are delighted to extend our collaboration with The Company of Biologists, which means we can continue to offer our researchers the possibility to publish open access in all the publisher’s journals as well as access to all previously published content," says Ádám Dér, Head of the Scientific Information Provision at MPDL. "Providing these opportunities to our authors is at the heart of our overall strategy in the world of scholarly publishing, in line with the Max Planck Society’s vision of openness, which in turn reflects the principles of the OA2020 Initiative and the Berlin Declaration on Open Access.”
Read the full announcement here
More info
Open Science Days 2024 - Opening Science Together
The Open Science Days 2024 took place on January 29 -30. After the unfortunate news about the train workers union strike, the event switched to a virtual format. This did not hinder avid participation and exciting new discourses forming on all facets of Open Science. Two days of excellent presentations have left us with creatively racing thoughts.
It started right away with an all-around presentation by Open Science Coordinator Sünje Dallmeier-Tiessen from CERN. The Open Science Group there offers services at every imaginable level. Of particular interest here is the brand new Open Source Program Office, which even takes care of Open Hardware. After a long break, we had a contribution on the subject of Open Access. Our colleague Ádám Dér from the MPDL, who heads the Scientific Information Provision Department, gave us all an excellent overview of current developments in this area. Inga Ulusoy told us about the Scientific Software Center (SSC) at Heidelberg University. This central facility offers an incredible all-around carefree package in the field of Research Software for its scientists, which is undoubtedly unparalleled in this form in Germany. Reproducibility, which is always of central importance for Open Science, was covered in the vast European project Tier2. The ambitious plans were presented by Alexandra Bannach-Brown from the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH). The Face Game project at the MPI for Human Development combines several exciting aspects: this Citizen Science project is about humans' decision-making processes and artificial intelligence. All of this is strongly combined with game principles – science can be fun! We also delved into other topics, such as Open Science Monitors, Open Research Data, and Knowledge Graphs.
We would like to thank all the speakers and participants for this wonderful and active conference.
If you are interested in getting the whole insights into our Open Science Days 2024, you are welcome to check out the speaker presentations that will be gradually published on the Open Science Days homepage.
More info:
Open Science Days Website
Speaker Presentations here
Innovating Science - Digital Change Symposium 2023
The Digital Change 2023 symposium about the future of science management within the MPG took place at Seeon Monastery from 20th to 22nd November. The event, organized by the MPDL, brought together research coordinators, science communicators and experts to discuss science communication, the use of AI in science, research data management, open science and many other digital developments.
The symposium for MPG research coordinators took place for the first time under the new name "Digital Change". By focussing on innovations and trends relating to digital change, the MPDL aims to promote discussion and contribute to utilizing the opportunities of digital change for research and science. On a small island in the Seeon Lake, the Seeon Monastery provided the perfect atmosphere for the exchange of knowledge. The event was well received and highlighted the growing demand for the topics covered within the MPG.
More info:
UpVerse – a New Desktop Application for Edmond
We have developed a new desktop application for Edmond. UpVerse is a standalone application that you can install on your laptop. The application allows you to easily publish a lot of data and whole folder structures via click & drop to Edmond. Technically, it also works via the API interface. However, UpVerse has an attractive user interface so that it can be used without prior IT knowledge.
UpVerse is now online and works on Windows, Apple, and Linux. It is available to the Edmond/MPG community but also to the entire Dataverse community (Open Source Community). Additionally, you can find a tutorial and visual documents for easy handling on GitHub.
More Info:
UpVerse App here
Go to Edmond
Sixth bloxberg Summit: research institutions in Belgrade for transparent, efficient, and secure international collaboration in science
The sixth bloxberg Summit took place this year in Belgrade on October 26-27. The Summit was hosted by the Faculty of Organizational Sciences of the University of Belgrade in cooperation with the Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL). The expansion of the world's largest proof-of-authority network, operated exclusively by scientific institutions, was discussed. The technology, developed under the MPDL initiative and launched in 2019 with ten international universities, is a groundbreaking example of the application of blockchain in science. bloxberg acts as a pioneer for decentralized global infrastructure in the scientific field.
During the summit, Max Planck Society (MPG) was appointed Chair of the Board of the Association. It is represented by MPDL. For the very first time, the Summit was also opened to the general public on the second day. Under the theme "Blockchain Adaptation in Science," attendees had the opportunity to engage and network with prominent industry leaders such as Wolfram Alpha, Ethernity Cloud, ScieNFT, and other respected third parties.
For more detailed information, read the official bloxberg Association press release here.
Edmond now certified with CoreTrustSeal
The Open Research Data Repository Edmond received certification from the CoreTrustSeal Foundation in October 2023. The CoreTrustSeal is an internationally recognized award for digital repositories that meet the highest standards in research data management.
The certification confirms the repository's commitment to long-term data storage, data integrity, and openness. Edmond has thus demonstrated that it complies with international best practices for the management and provision of research data.
The award of the Core Trust Seal is an important recognition for Edmond and underlines its role as a trusted repository for high-quality research data. Researchers can now access Edmond's extensive database with even more confidence, publish their research data, and benefit from its high-quality content.
More info:
Max Planck Society joins Germany-wide open access publishing agreement with Elsevier
Following the announcement of the open access agreement between the DEAL Consortium and Elsevier last month, the Max Planck Society has now officially signed up as a participating institution, in a significant broadening of open access publication and reading options for Max Planck authors.
The agreement, which is in effect since 16 October, 2023 and runs through the end of 2028, allows authors across the Society to publish their research in Elsevier's journals—including well-known journal brands such as Cell Press and The Lancet—as Open Access articles under an open license retaining their copyright, with the publication fees being centrally covered by the Max Planck Digital Library. This comes in addition to the reestablishment of comprehensive reading access to virtually the entire Elsevier journal collection hosted on ScienceDirect.
A new chapter and a new home for the MPDL!
Since October 2023 the MPDL has a new home! From now on we can be found at Landsberger Straße 346 in Munich. The move to the "MARK" building highlights the beginning of an exciting new chapter and creates new opportunities for the services of the MPDL, which are provided to the scientists of the Max Planck Society.
The building was constructed with environmental sustainability in mind and contributes to our commitment to a green future. By doing so, we are pleased to be able to contribute to the promotion of sustainable working environments in the scientific community.
MPDL employees were closely involved in the conception and design of the space and common areas. The result is a modern and inspiring work environment that also provides numerous opportunities to meet and exchange ideas to foster a forward-thinking and innovative work culture.
We warmly welcome all employees of the Max Planck Society to our new home in Munich-Laim!
FAIR Principles for Research Software Become More Visible
The conscious use of research software is becoming increasingly important. The Max Planck Digital Library supports scientists in this. To this end, the MPDL has written an application for software management plans (SMP). It can be used to organize projects with research software in the open-source application RDMO. This application has now been revised and handed over to the RDMO community.
At the same time, the MPDL team has written an additional application to look at the own software according to the FAIR principles for research software (FAIR4RS). This complements the work with an SMP and enables scientists to check the FAIRness of their own code. In addition to quality management, this can, i.e. also be used for third-party funding applications.
More info:
RDMO for MPG hier
MPDL RDMO Support: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Open Access agreement between Projekt DEAL and Elsevier
Germany’s Projekt DEAL and Elsevier have entered into a new transformative agreement, in line with the objectives of the Open Access 2020 Initiative. The agreement has been officially announced earlier today.
Universities and research institutions in Germany are invited to sign up to the agreement.
Researchers will be able to publish Open Access in Elsevier journals under the DEAL agreement once their institution has joined the consortium. The agreement also grants reading rights for all Elsevier journal content to all participating institutions.
The consortium is organized by MPDL Services gGmbH, which will send the DEAL-eligible institutions (which include about 900 universities, universities of applied sciences, federal and state research institutions, etc.) the participation documents by the beginning of October.
The MPDL is organizing the participation of the entire Max Planck Society in DEAL and will now start preparing the next steps. We will update our websites with the relevant information as soon as it is available.
Information on the terms and conditions of the contract can be found on the DEAL Konsortium website and if you have any questions or comments, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
16th Berlin Open Access Conference outcomes now online
In early June, national-level delegations representing research communities from 38 countries across six continents gathered at the 16th Berlin Open Access Conference (B16).
Hosted by the Max Planck Society, initiator of the Berlin conference series, and organized by the Max Planck Digital Library’s Open Access 2020 Initiative (OA2020), the conference was held as a strategy meeting of global actors in research communication committed to advancing viable strategies to replace the subscription paywall model underlying the bulk of today’s scholarly journals with transparent and sustainable models that deliver immediate and open access to the results of research, enabling maximum scientific and societal impact.
B16 conference outcomes, including key insights to guide the research community’s next steps and final statement for publishers, are now available on the OA2020 website.
Participants of B16
Photo: © CC-BY-SA Georg Botz
MPDL @ Festival of the Future
We are excited to have participated in the Festival of the Future at the renowned Deutsches Museum, showcasing the benefits of the bloxberg blockchain as one of the founding members. Our team successfully introduced bloxberg to diverse audiences, including universities, organizations, students, startups, and curious individuals. The response to our blockchain technology was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the growing demand for decentralized science.
During this event, our deputy managers, provided valuable insights into how to blockchainify your data as well as the demand for decentralized science. This was also further discussed in a connected panel discussion on "DeSci Meets GovTech: Unlocking the Power of Blockchain".
Moreover, our team could attend numerous fascinating talks on AI, Life Sciences, Quantum Computing, New Space, Metaverse, Energy, Mobility, ClimateTech, Communications, and Web3. All discussions gave us valuable insights into cutting-edge technologies and their potential applications.
Overall, the Festival of the Future was an incredible platform for us to promote bloxberg, our work within the MPDL and connect with like-minded individuals, and contribute to the discourse on the future of technology. We are genuinely excited about the new connections forged and the new opportunities that have emerged.
More info:
bloxberg @ NFDI InfraTalk: learn the benefits of certifying Research Data on a blockchain
We are thrilled to share some interesting news: Distributed ledger technologies, including blockchain infrastructures, are on the verge of transforming the scientific community. On June 19, MPDL presented the bloxberg blockchain to the German National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) Community during the NFDI InfraTalk, showcasing its potential impact on scientific research.
In the NFDI InfraTalk, scientists from different disciplines present exciting topics around NFDI and research data management. In this recent episode "Protect Your Intellectual Property: The Benefits of Certifying Your Research Data on the World's Largest Scientific Blockchain Network bloxberg", we provided valuable insights into the largest international scientific blockchain with a proof-of-authority consensus.Recognized for its high potential in scientific endeavors, bloxberg allows researchers worldwide to create a transparent record of their work without disclosing its contents, timestamping their research data, and safeguarding their intellectual property.
NFDI systematically connects and makes valuable scientific data accessible for the entire German science system. Its primary objective is to create a permanent digital knowledge repository, following the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable). NFDI consortia, consisting of various research institutions, collaborate interdisciplinary to achieve this goal.
MPDL is actively working to monitor and stay updated on the activities of MPIs within the NFDI. Additionally, MPDL is actively participating in an MPG working group dedicated to the advancement of the German National Research Data Infrastructure.
More info:
Watch the full talk here
The MPDL has a new home!
Exciting news: We're moving! The MPDL is spreading its digital wings and opening a new chapter full of innovation, collaborations and novel services.
Starting in the third quarter, the MPDL is moving together with MPDL Services (MPDLS) to MARK in Munich Laim. With contemporary offices, clever concepts such as co-working, flex-space and conference zones, state-of-the-art technical equipment and sophisticated communication zones, the new building offers the best conditions for creative exchange and effective collaboration. With the arrival of the MPDL and MPDLS, another building block is being created to revitalize Munich's 25th district. With the presence of the MPDL, Laim is complemented by one of the lighthouses for digital transformation in science, thus forming a cornerstone for the expansion of a sustainable, scientific user structure of the neighborhood.
With one laughing and one crying eye, we say "bye bye Amalienstraße!" and at the same time look forward with great anticipation to a new, exciting chapter ahead. Moving to our new home not only brings a breath of fresh air, but also opens up a wide range of new possibilities and opportunities for us.
(Source: Knight Frank München)
More info:
Press Release
16th Berlin Open Access Conference: Together for Transformation
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the seminal Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities. In the upcoming 16th Berlin Open Access Conference, organized by the OA2020 Initiative and hosted by the Max Planck Society, we will return to the setting where the Berlin Declaration originated. There, we will refine and renew our approaches to achieving the vision for an open information environment in the service of science and society, with a particular focus on transformative agreements (TAs).
The current growing body of TAs negotiated worldwide—from Peru to Canada, from South Africa to Norway, and from Australia to China—demonstrates that this approach to dismantling the deficiencies and inequities of the subscription-based system in scholarly publishing is both viable and scalable. With the first movers to integrate TAs into their national open access strategies now nearing their goals of open access to 100% of their research outputs and setting their sights on broader open science objectives, the way is paved for the global research community to swiftly forge ahead, together.
The 16th Berlin Open Access Conference: Together for Transformation, will assemble national-level delegations, including scientists and scholars, senior library, higher education, funder and government leaders from 38 countries around the world. Together, they will assess the performance of scholarly publishers in meeting the objectives and expectations set out by the research community engaged in transformative open access negotiations and formulate collective next steps to shape an open scholarly publishing paradigm in the service of science that is transparent, inclusive, sustainable and financially equitable on a global scale.
Outcomes of the conference will be shared with the broader research community on the B16 webpage.
Max Planck Society signs transformative agreement with PNAS
The Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL), on behalf of the Max Planck Society, has reached a three-year transformative agreement with the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The agreement covers open access (OA) publishing of articles in PNAS.
The three-year pilot agreement, which runs from May 1, 2023 through April 30, 2026, enables corresponding authors affiliated with the Max Planck Society to publish their research articles open access in PNAS without paying individual article processing charges (APCs). The agreement also includes access to PNAS content for all Max Planck Society researchers.
Ádám Dér, Head of the Scientific Information Provision at MPDL, commented: “This transformative agreement with PNAS marks another important step in enabling Max Planck authors to publish their research open access, increasing their global impact and readership. By making our researchers’ work widely and freely available to fellow scientists wherever they may be, we further implement the vision of the OA2020 Initiative.”
Revolutionary Publication Marketplace: the bloxberg Blockchain will Power OpenSci.net
We are thrilled to announce its partnership with the project OpenSci.net, an innovative open-access publication marketplace for scientific content that connects researchers, publishers, and readers through a secure and transparent DLT-based platform. The innovative open-access publication marketplace for scientific content will use the bloxberg blockchain, initiated by MPDL, to provide a decentralized and tamper-proof system for managing the publication process.
This will allow for greater transparency and accountability while giving authors and readers greater control over the publishing process. Through their collaboration, OpenSci.net and bloxberg aim to make the benefits of blockchain technology accessible to the scientific community and develop new standards in scientific publishing services.
Read the press release here.
More info:
The MPG Labfolder User Workshop 2023 is here!
We are organizing a Labfolder User Workshop on the 11-12 of May, 2023, at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics.
Labfolder is an electronic laboratory notebook, becoming increasingly popular within the Max Planck Society, with users being spread across many different institutions and locations. Therefore, we are organizing a workshop for the key users of Labfolder within the Max Planck Society. The event is intended as a place to share and learn about people using Labfolder in their daily routines, offering you many opportunities to exchange, expand your knowledge and learn.
The primary target audience are those colleagues who use Labfolder in their daily work. The event is intended as a place to share and learn about people using Labfolder in their daily routines. Have you been working with Labfolder regularly for a longer time? Do you write your lab book with it? Do you use or interact with the REST API automatically or with scripts? Then this workshop offers you many opportunities to exchange, expand your knowledge and learn.
The workshop is not planned in a presentation-discussion mode. Instead, we would like to encourage conversation with each other. Therefore, we are not looking for presentations. In contrast, we have included a lot of time for discussion in the program. At the same time, such an event lives from active participation. To encourage this, we would like to introduce the various Labfolder solutions at Max Planck Institutes via short introductory lightning talks. For this, we are looking for colleagues who can briefly present their local Labfolder applications in two minutes. Do you want to contribute with a 2-minute talk? Please let us know via rdm [at] mpdl [dot] mpg [dot] de.
Weitere Infos:
RDM Website
Labfolder Workshop Program
Register here
The Max Planck Digital Library joins the 1st NEB Digital Talk Series webinar
Exciting news! On February 14, 2023, the Max Planck Digital Library (MPDL) joined the first NEB Digital Talk Series webinar hosted by digiNEB, where they showcased the bloxberg blockchain and its potential use in the creative industries.
bloxberg is a secure global blockchain that was founded by the MPDL, which allows scientists to certify raw research data on a blockchain, ensuring the protection of intellectual property and the authenticity of data. It is also part of the broad Research Service Catalog of the MPDL, which includes various tools and services for scientists of the Max Planck Society. The MPDL is constantly working to optimize the research process of MPG scientists by providing reliable and effective digital solutions. Blockchain technology has been proven to be a helpful tool for this purpose.
The NEB Digital Talk Series was organized by the New European Bauhaus (NEB), a creative and transdisciplinary initiative that aims to connect the European Green Deal to people's daily lives and living spaces. The event highlighted bloxberg's already existing use cases in registering ideas and promoting fair attribution, encouraging greater sharing of ideas in co-creation processes. For more information on using bloxberg for intellectual property in the creative and cultural environment, visit the bloxberg website.
[NEWS] We are celebrating the Edmonth!
This month we are celebrating the EdMONTH – your opportunity to get to know Edmond – our research data repository for Max Planck researchers – a little better. It is the place to store completed datasets of research data with open access. Edmond serves for the publication of research data from all disciplines and offers scientists the ability to create citable research objects.
With Edmond, MPDL has allowed its users to create citable research objects with DOI without a usage fee or limitations while storing data within the Max Planck Society's infrastructure. Making daily work and the publication & citeability of research data easier and becoming a reliable service for many years.
Over 60 Max-Planck-Institutes uploading data, 199 327 uploaded files, and research data from all over the world show MPG scientists and employees' trust in Edmond. We are looking forward to many more years of open-access research data. We love data, we love Edmond!
More info:
Get to know Edmond here!
[NEWS] Software Management Plan (SMP) Template for the MPG now available!
A new template for creating software management plans (SMP) is now available on RDMO, making the usage of research software more sustainable.
Software and sustainability in this context are being discussed by many institutions worldwide. The MPDL has therefore made an SMP template available for the RDMO software accessible to the RDMO community with a CC0 waiver. With the software management plan template, scientific software is viewed through the lens of project management. A software management plan (SMP) can make the conception, implementation, and long-term availability significantly easier. The benefit of an SMP completed in advance is the support of the development of an emerging research software with documented information at hand. This clarifies which topics/ project stages still need to be solved or covered.
Sustainability, reproducibility, and reusability are keywords that are being used in the context of research software. In line with the open source idea, we hope for as many re-uses as possible and a concrete added value for others.
The template for a software management plan with its diverse help texts is aimed at scientists. Still, it can also be used by software, information, and infrastructure experts for consultation, project proposals, or needs analysis.
Max Planck scientists and their cooperation partners can now use the SMP template via the RDMO service of the MPDL. All others can use it with their own RDMO instance.
More info:
SMP template via the RDMO
If you would like to test the SMP, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
[NEWS] We are celebrating five years of KEEPER!
This month we are happy to celebrate the fifth birthday of our tool KEEPER, allowing you to sync & share your project data while being properly archived in the Max Planck infrastructure. With KEEPER, MPDL has been providing its users with storage and many collaboration functionalities, making daily work and research easier and becoming a reliable and secure service for five years now. Over 4000 users, 145.3 TB used storage, and around 65.5 Million shared files show the impact KEEPER has made in the daily workflow of MPG scientist, employees, and their cooperation partners. We are looking forward to many more years of organized research data! Happy Birthday, you are a real KEEPER!
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