The Region of Murcia has become one of the territories that is most strongly committed to the open knowledge and free access to public informationIt's not just about publishing isolated data points, but about making research, technical documents, educational resources, and invaluable materials available to the public—materials that until recently were largely hidden away in government offices. All of this is organized on dedicated platforms and repositories designed so that anyone can access, reuse, and share this content.
In this context, the website was born Open Knowledge of the Autonomous Community of the Region of MurciaThis pioneering project aligns with Open Government policies and the international trend towards open science and transparency. It is complemented by strategies to combat poverty and social exclusion, integrated social and healthcare models, specialized workshops, and a comprehensive regional document repository, creating an ecosystem where access to knowledge is seen as a key tool for improving public policies and people's lives.
What is the Open Knowledge website of the Region of Murcia?
The so-called page Open Knowledge website of the Region of Murcia It is an official portal of the Autonomous Community (accessible through conocimientoabierto.carm.es) that functions as a large online repository. Its main objective is to allow any citizen, professional, researcher, or entity to access the technical, scientific and administrative information generated by the regional administrationwhether it comes from public employees or from work financed through grants from the Community itself.
This platform is conceived as a document repository structured into 12 major thematic areasThis is where materials are grouped to facilitate their consultation. Unlike official bulletins or traditional legal databases, this resource prioritizes research reports, methodological guides, teaching materials, planning documents, and other resources that often have great practical value but were previously difficult to locate in a unified way.
The department responsible for transparency and participation emphasizes that one of the cornerstones of its policy is Open Government is about generating public value from open dataThis philosophy extends to the field of scientific and technical knowledge, so that work financed with public money is not restricted to a few offices, but is available to the entire Murcian society and, in general, to any interested person.
One relevant aspect is that the Region of Murcia is positioned as the first Spanish autonomous community to create an Open Knowledge website of this typeIn this way, it is ahead of other regional administrations and reinforces its image as a territory committed to transparency, open science and the protection of the intellectual property of its authors, who see their works registered in a recognized institutional environment.
Thematic structure and types of content in the repository
The Open Knowledge repository was born with some 400 initial documents classified into 12 thematic areasThese areas cover virtually the entire spectrum of regional public action. They are: Public Administration; European Union; Crafts, Trade and Consumer Affairs; Economy and Finance; Education, Culture and Sports; Economic Development; Environment; Public Works and Territory; Social Policies; Health; Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries; and Technology and the Information Society.
Within each of these sections you can find reports, studies, strategies, teaching materials, conference proceedings, intervention models and other resourcesFor example, in the field of Education and Culture, activity books and documents for teachers and families can be found; in the area of Social Policies, inclusion strategies, territorial diagnoses, and care models appear; while in Environment or Economic Development, technical studies and sectoral plans predominate.
Among the specific examples, a work on the History of food markets in the Region of MurciaThis work, which combines historical research and urban analysis, has become a key reference for understanding the evolution of traditional commercial establishments. These types of documents are not only of academic interest, but also cultural and touristic value, as they help to highlight the importance of local heritage.
Another striking example is the resource titled “An exciting adventure: an emotional education activity book”This is a teaching resource aimed at teachers and parents. These publications are part of a broader effort to promote high-quality educational resources, developed or supported by the regional government, which are made available to the educational community without barriers to access, facilitating their use in the classroom or at home.
The regional government's intention is that the The Open Knowledge page can also be used by the municipalities of the RegionThe idea is to offer the platform to the 45 municipalities so that they can incorporate works of scientific, technical and documentary value produced by their own services, thus improving the visibility of local studies, municipal diagnoses, urban plans or community intervention projects that often go unnoticed outside the local area.
Linkage with the Open Government Plan and the Berlin Declaration
The launch of the Open Knowledge website is not an isolated project, but rather part of a broader initiative. Open Government Plan of the Region of MurciaThis plan includes specific commitments to promote transparency, citizen participation, accountability, and open data and information. Among these commitments was the creation of an open-access institutional repository for scientific, technical, and institutional literature generated within the autonomous community.
Furthermore, the Autonomous Community has taken a significant step towards adhere to the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and HumanitiesThis text, promoted by the Max Planck Institute and signed by hundreds of institutions worldwide, advocates for open access via the internet as a means of disseminating human knowledge and cultural heritage, ensuring that the results of publicly funded research are available free of charge and permanently.
The Berlin Declaration, adopted in October 2003, is supported by major international universities and research centers such as Harvard, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the Pasteur Institute, CERN, or the Smithsonian InstitutionIn Spain, it has been signed by most public universities, including the three universities in the Region of Murcia, as well as by organizations such as the Higher Council for Scientific Research or the National Cancer Research Centre.
By joining this initiative, the Region of Murcia becomes the the only Spanish autonomous community that has formalized this commitment explicitly from the regional level. The Minister for Transparency and Participation has insisted that “knowledge does not fulfill its purpose if it is not widely disseminated and made available to the public,” emphasizing that open access strengthens innovation, scientific collaboration, and democratic quality.
The Open Knowledge website also provides answers to the European Commission recommendations on access to scientific knowledgeThese guidelines urge that all publicly funded publications be made available in open access by 2020, regardless of format or publication channel. In doing so, the Murcia portal aligns itself with European open science policies and positions the Region on the international map of best practices.
Intellectual property, preservation and visibility of knowledge
One of the most interesting aspects of the project is that, far from jeopardizing copyright, the Open Knowledge website contributes to Strengthen the intellectual property of those who produce the content.Registering works in a stable institutional environment facilitates the identification of authorship and creates a traceability that can serve as evidence against potential plagiarism or unauthorized use.
In addition to this legal aspect, the repository acts as a powerful tool for long-term preservation and conservationThe documents are hosted on servers controlled by the Administration, with digital preservation policies that seek to guarantee future access, preventing valuable studies from being lost due to technological changes, website closures or local storage problems.
The platform also has an impact on the visibility of research and technical content produced in the Region of MurciaBy being centralized and properly described, documents can be indexed by search engines, included in subject-specific databases, and shared more easily. This increases the potential impact of the work and allows other researchers, practitioners, or policymakers to build upon it.
In parallel, many of the items that are integrated or referenced through this digital ecosystem are found in services such as DIGICARM, the institutional repository of the Autonomous Communitywhere it is specified that the materials are protected by copyright unless otherwise indicated. The metadata usually includes a persistent identifier (for example, a handle such as http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11914/3443) that facilitates academic citation and linking from other platforms.
DIGICARM records state that, unless specifically stated otherwise, All rights reservedTherefore, open access does not necessarily imply relinquishing ownership of rights, but rather expanding the possibilities for consultation and legitimate use within the limits of the current legal framework, opening the door to more flexible licenses when so decided by the authors or the holding institutions.
Regional document repository and examples of key publications
Within the framework of this push for open knowledge, the value of a Documentary repository of the Region of MurciaThe collection, whose characteristics and some of its most significant contents have already been highlighted in specialized media, comprises approximately 400 files, organized into a dozen thematic areas, ranging from historical research to guides and training materials.
Among the items that illustrate the diversity of the documentary collection is the “IV Training Meeting: Activating and Transforming the Community through Participation (Program)”Developed within the framework of the European Project Citizen Action Plans for Social Inclusion (PACIS) and Participatory Local Diagnoses (PLD), this regional meeting focuses on methodologies to revitalize community life, strengthen the social fabric, and promote citizen participation in identifying problems and solutions.
The program of the 4th Meeting addresses how to activate community processes and transform them through citizen participationoffering training opportunities for social work professionals, municipal technicians, and representatives of various organizations. This is a good example of how the repository collects not only final documents but also materials associated with training events and regional meetings that would otherwise be scattered.
Another significant publication is the “Strategy Against Poverty and Social Exclusion in the Region of Murcia 2026-2028”This planning document establishes the priority lines for combating poverty and social vulnerability within the autonomous region. Its conceptual framework clearly differentiates between the concepts of inclusion and social integration, analyzes the factors that generate exclusion, and compiles data and indicators to guide public policies.
This strategy includes measures ranging from the improved access to basic resources and public services This includes promoting job placement programs, inter-administrative coordination, and strengthening the participation of social organizations and citizens. Its inclusion in the open knowledge environment allows organizations, researchers, and other governments to study its approach and draw inspiration for their own strategies.
Models of integrated social and health care and other resources
Within the socio-health field, one of the key documents available is the “Integrated social and health care model for people living in residential centers: Working together to provide better care”This document, prepared by the Ministry of Social Policy, Families and Equality together with the Ministry of Health, serves as the framework for organizing joint care for people residing in social care facilities, such as nursing homes or disability centers.
The model proposes Improve coordination between social services and health servicesovercoming the traditional separation of skills and resources. The idea is to create interdisciplinary teams, share relevant information for care, unify protocols where possible, and focus intervention on the person, taking into account both their health needs and their social, emotional, and family situation.
The document describes the conceptual foundations of integrated care, the profiles of the residents it is aimed at, and the mechanisms of cooperation between professionals from different fieldsIt also details aspects such as the role of families, the importance of the residential environment as a dignified and safe living space, and the need for evaluation and continuous improvement systems to guarantee the quality of care.
Alongside these more structural contents, the open knowledge ecosystem incorporates resources related to mental health and employment, such as “Mental Health Conference New Scenarios 2: Recovery through Employment (12-13/12/2022)”This activity combines the presentation of experiences, the exchange of best practices, and reflection on the role of employment as a recovery tool in the field of mental health.
The repository contains both full program of the conference as well as links to the videos The recordings of the various sessions, organized by day and block, include presentations on job placement, personalized support, the role of businesses, coordination with mental health services, and testimonials from participants. In this way, the knowledge generated during the event is not limited to the attendees but remains available to professionals, students, and other interested individuals.
Consultation methodologies, international reports and open science
The Region of Murcia's commitment to open knowledge is also understood in dialogue with international debates and experiences, such as those included in a report on the proposal “Towards Responsible Publishing” (TRP) by cOAlition S, prepared by Research Consulting and the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) at Leiden University, with project management and communication support from cOAlition S.
This report aims to to assess the feasibility and acceptance of the principles proposed in the TRP initiativewhich seeks to advance towards a more responsible, equitable, and open model of scientific publishing. Its specific objectives include analyzing whether the TRP's vision meets the needs of the global research community, identifying potential changes to increase its adoption, anticipating obstacles or unintended consequences, and assessing whether the current academic communication infrastructure is capable of supporting these transformations.
The methodology used in the study is of a multi-stage and multi-actor, combining surveys, focus groups and qualitative analysisSix work packages were developed, ranging from the preparation and design phase of instruments to the drafting of the final report, including large-scale surveys, in-depth discussions, and the collection of position letters from organizations in different countries and income levels.
In the survey phase, a global questionnaire was launched that It collected more than 11.000 responses from researchers around the worldas well as an initial feedback consultation with several hundred additional responses. In parallel, focus groups were conducted with 72 participants, selected to reflect the geographical, disciplinary, and role diversity within the scientific system, and 10 institutional response letters were received, primarily from low- and middle-income countries.
The following were used for the processing of textual data: qualitative analysis tools such as ATLAS.ti and NVivoThese tools allow for the coding and in-depth examination of the collected opinions, concerns, and proposals. From there, the research team integrated the results into a comprehensive report, available as open access on platforms such as Zenodo, which aims to guide future decisions by cOAlition S and other stakeholders committed to reforming academic communication.
Barriers, benefits, and recommendations regarding responsible publishing
TRP analysis identifies various barriers that hinder the transition towards fully open and equitable scientific publishing modelsOne of the most prominent issues is the cost of article processing fees (APCs), which many researchers consider prohibitive, especially in low- and middle-income countries or institutions with limited financial resources. Although open science aims to reduce inequalities, the APC-based model can create new divides.
Another important barrier is the persistence of academic evaluation systems focused on traditional metricsFactors such as journal impact factors influence career paths, promotions, and grant awards. As long as these indicators remain the primary benchmark, many researchers will be reluctant to change their approach, even if they support open access, for fear of jeopardizing their career prospects.
They are also detected difficulties related to the technological infrastructure needed to support a more open and transparent systemNot all institutions have robust repositories, open review tools, or preprint platforms, and creating or adapting these infrastructures can be costly and technically complex, especially in resource-constrained environments.
Furthermore, the report describes a certain resistance to change within the research and publishing communityEstablished habits, disciplinary traditions, and the pressure to publish in certain journals lead many stakeholders to view proposals for transformation with caution. Without clear incentives and effective communication of the benefits, this inertia can hinder the adoption of new models.
In the face of these barriers, the study highlights the potential Benefits of moving towards a more open and responsible publishing systemThese include immediate access to research results for the global community, greater transparency derived from open peer review models, the possibility of strengthening equity in the participation of researchers from all regions, and the opportunity to innovate in the way scientific knowledge is shared and evaluated, for example, by promoting preprints and post-publication evaluations.
In its conclusions, the report raises several Key recommendations to make the transition viable: design a detailed implementation strategy that addresses the identified concerns; promote collaboration among academic institutions, funders, and governments; update academic recognition systems to value open science practices; invest in training and capacity building for researchers, editors, and reviewers; and establish continuous monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to adjust policies based on accumulated experience.
This entire international debate is linked to the Open knowledge initiatives in the Region of Murciawhich are based on the same logic of promoting broad access to scientific and technical production, protecting copyright, strengthening democratic quality and fostering a more efficient and collaborative use of resources financed with public money.
Open data, regional government and the role of the Region of Murcia
Murcia's commitment to open knowledge is part of a broader framework of open data and collaboration with state initiatives such as datos.gob.esThe promoting organization, the Region of Murcia itself, is listed as an autonomous administration that actively collaborates with the state open data platform, which strengthens the interoperability of information and facilitates the reuse of datasets and documents at a national level.
The initiative's fact sheets specify that the The Region of Murcia is the driving force behind this initiative. and that the corresponding level of administration is the regional one. Furthermore, it is noted that collaboration with datos.gob.es is active, which implies a constant exchange of information, best practices, and resources between both parties, contributing to the consolidation of the open data ecosystem in Spain.
This approach means that the documents included on the Open Knowledge website are not merely static files, but pieces of a larger mechanism of transparency and opennessAlong with data in reusable format, publications and studies allow for contextualizing the figures, explaining the political and technical processes, and giving coherence to the set of actions of the regional government in areas as diverse as education, health, social policy, or environmental management.
Although some news portals and websites specializing in public administration have covered the launch of the repository and have enabled comment sections, it is worth remembering that The opinions expressed by users are not the responsibility of the National Institute of Public Administration (INAP). or other entities that disseminate the news. These spaces stipulate that messages contrary to current legislation or that are defamatory are not permitted, and the right is reserved to remove contributions deemed off-topic, reflecting the need to combine openness with responsibility.
With this entire network of portals, repositories, strategies, and international commitments, the Region of Murcia is consolidating a model in which the open access to scientific, technical and administrative knowledge It becomes a tool to improve public policies, support professionals and researchers, strengthen citizen participation and project outwards the work done in the Community, shaping an environment in which information ceases to be hidden and becomes part of the daily life of society.